According to research firm Strategy Analytics, Apple’s AirPods dominated the market for True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Bluetooth headsets in 2020. Overall, the accessory remains one of the hottest products in tech as the category saw sales soar 90% last year. Even after last year’s growth, there is room for more. Ville-Petteri Ukonaho, Strategy Analytics’ Associate Director, notes that globally, only one in 10 people own a Bluetooth headset. Ukonaho says that with companies like Apple and Samsung no longer including wired earphones in the box with new handsets, Strategy Analytics sees “huge potential” for Bluetooth headset sales.
Ken Hyers, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “TWS headsets drove global sales volumes in the Bluetooth headset segment. While the pandemic slowed demand briefly during the first half of the year, sales rebounded strongly during the second half. The Work From Home shift benefited the entire Bluetooth headset category in terms of sales volume growth.” Hyers also touched on Apple’s current domination of the TWS Bluetooth headset market while also pointing out that the tech giant’s share is shrinking thanks to competition this year from Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi. Hyers said, “Apple maintained a commanding lead in the TWS segment in 2020, but its commanding share is shrinking as competition intensifies. Strong competition is expected from Xiaomi, Samsung, and Huawei in 2021. The TWS headset market is already hugely overcrowded and despite a strong sales outlook, there will inevitably be consolidation in the years ahead.”
Apple is expected to unveil two new AirPods versions this year, the third-generation AirPods and the second generation AirPods Pro. The new models could see the light of day this March. The first generation AirPods were released on December 13th, 2016 with the second-generation model launched last March. On October 30th, 2019, the AirPods Pro hit the market with new features including Active Noise Cancellation to remove ambient noise, and the Transparency mode to allow outside noises to be heard.
