AirPods sales to grow this year even though Apple’s market share will decline
Samsung is expected to hike deliveries of its TWS earbuds by more than double, from 8 million last year to over 17 million this year. Apple’s AirPods shipments this year could rise by a significant 21 million pair, from 2019’s 61 million to 82 million during 2020. But on a percentage basis that works out to a 34% increase; solid, but nowhere near the better than 100% gain that Samsung might achieve in 2020.
Apple is also believed to be developing a way for AirPods users to be alerted in case they face a possible danger by lowering the volume automatically depending on whether both earbuds are partially inserted into the ears, one is partially inserted, or none are. The audio can be lowered in either earbud, both of them, or cut off completely so that the user can hear more ambient noise. For example, if location data determines that the AirPods user is in an area where he/she should be more alert, the audio could be adjusted lower.
