Device-model matrix, how do you build iPhone / Galaxy / Pixel filter on Magento?

The architecture I’ve shipped 6 times on accessory DTC builds:

• EAV attribute set, create a compatible_models multi-select attribute with ~300 options. Each option is one device-model SKU (e.g. iphone-17-pro-max, galaxy-s26-ultra, pixel-10-pro). Native to Magento, no extension needed.
• Attribute set per category, cases get compatible-models + material + drop-rating + MFi-cert. Chargers get compatible-models + wattage + charging-spec (MagSafe/Qi2/USB-C-PD). Separate sets keep the admin form clean.
• Layered nav filter, Magento native attribute filter on category pages. Customer clicks “iPhone 17 Pro Max” → URL becomes ?compatible_models=iphone-17-pro-max → catalog auto-narrows to matching SKUs. No third-party app needed.
• URL pre-filter / direct landing, a marketing campaign for the iPhone 17 launch can deep-link to /cases?compatible_models=iphone-17-pro-max and the page lands pre-filtered. Critical for Apple keynote week.
• Model selector widget on PDP, configurable product with a model dropdown; customer picks their iPhone, the right SKU resolves. Hyvä Alpine state, under 80ms INP.

Shopify needs a third-party app (Bold Product Options, Globo Product Options) starting at $20, $60/mo for the same thing, works but slower, less filter-friendly, and doesn’t expose the URL parameter cleanly. OtterBox.com runs this exact pattern on Magento.