Apple continued its dominance of the true wireless headset market in 2020, a report by Counterpoint Research has shown. The report shows the AirPods accounts for more than a quarter of all TWS shipments.
Specifically, in Q3 2020, Apple products accounted for 29% of True Wireless Stereo (TWS) headset shipments, while its Apple Watch accounted for 28% of all smartwatch shipments.
The wearable device market can be divided into five market segments, of which ear-worn and wrist-worn devices account for the majority. Apple’s performance has always been better than its competitors, although the purchase cost of its products is usually higher than that of products by other competitors.
“Apple’s powerful iOS ecosystem, typically comprised of consumers with larger disposable incomes, has been the main driver for growth – especially in terms of revenues. High-end stalwart Samsung has also performed consistently,” said Sujeong Lim, a senior analyst at Counterpoint.
Despite this, budget-level products still show great potential. Xiaomi has consolidated its second position with a market share of 13%. Half of the top ten are budget-level brands, and their products are generally priced below $50 or even below $20.
Counterpoint Research expects the wireless headset industry to grow by 83 percent, reaching 238 million units, due in part to smartphones lack the headphone jack. Also, the removal of earphones from the retail box is yet another driving force.
“The trend around removing jacks and earphones from devices and boxes is becoming a big driver for TWS segment growth,” Counterpoint Research senior analyst Liz Lee noted. “It also helps that mobile media consumption continues to grow, making TWS the next must-have accessory,” she added.
Counterpoint believes that the global health crisis has prompted consumers to increase their interest in health and fitness, which may help the smartwatch market to grow further. “We expect double-digit low-speed growth in the medium term-if the average selling price drops rapidly, it may be even higher,” Lim stated.
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