9/16/21, 11:18 AM
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`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth hits 90% for 2020 - 9to5Mac
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`JANUARY 27
`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth
`hits 90% for 2020
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`Michael Potuck - Jan. 27th 2021 7:46 am PT (cid:0) @michaelpotuck
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`17 Comments
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`(cid:0) (cid:0) (cid:0) (cid:0) (cid:0)
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`New data is out today from Strategy Analytics on the wireless headphone market and its estimates reveal a
`strong 2020 for their sales on the whole as AirPods continues to dominate the category. Apple’s wireless
`headphones took an almost 50% share as the overall market saw an impressive 90% increase.
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`https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/27/airpods-dominate-wireless-headphone-market/
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`9/16/21, 11:18 AM
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`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth hits 90% for 2020 - 9to5Mac
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`The new report from Strategy Analytics says that the global total of Bluetooth headset shipments pushed past
`300 million for 2020.
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`One of the most popular segments is “True Wireless Stereo” (TWS) Bluetooth headsets which Apple’s AirPods
`lineup continues to take the lion’s share of.
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`Strategy Analytics says that true wireless stereo headphones saw a big 90% increase in shipments for 2020
`with AirPods taking just under 50% of the global market share.
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`No surprise here, the report cites the pandemic as driving the wireless headphone growth in 2020 with the
`most shipments happening in the 2H 2020.
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`https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/27/airpods-dominate-wireless-headphone-market/
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`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth hits 90% for 2020 - 9to5Mac
`9/16/21, 11:18 AM
`“TWS headsets drove global sales volumes in the Bluetooth headset segment,” comments Ken
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`Hyers, Director at Strategy Analytics. “While the pandemic slowed demand briey during the rst
`half of the year, sales rebounded strongly during the second half. The Work From Home shift
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`benetted the entire Bluetooth headset category in terms of sales volume growth.”
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`While AirPods still dominate the market, the report highlights that its share is decreasing as more competitors
`enter the market, many of which are priced below AirPods.
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`“Apple maintained a commanding lead in the TWS segment in 2020, but its commanding share is
`shrinking as competition intensies. 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,” says Ken Hyers.
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`But notably, Apple just expanded its AirPods lineup even further with the launch of AirPods Max. While they
`are its highest-end offering, it’s another way Apple can capture more market share.
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`As for future outlook on Bluetooth headphones, Strategy Analytics believes there is a lot of room for growth. It
`estimates only 1 in 10 people around the world have a Bluetooth headset.
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`“There is still plenty of potential in the broader Bluetooth headset market,” comments Ville-Petteri
`Ukonaho, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics. “Our research shows that installed base and
`penetration of Bluetooth headsets is still low; less than one in ten people own a Bluetooth headset
`globally, so there is still signicant room for growth. As leading vendors are no longer bundling wired
`headsets with new smartphones, we see huge potential for Bluetooth headsets.”
`
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`Apple AirPods
`AirPods offers a cord-free wireless audio experience with up to 5 hours of battery life. They are
`rechargeable through the included case that get you up to 24 hours on a single charge. AirPods 2 and
`AirPods Pro support wireless (Qi) charging, Hey Siri, and include the H1 chip.
`
`About the Author
`
`Michael Potuck
`@michaelpotuck
`(cid:0)
`Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles
`including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.
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`9/16/21, 11:18 AM
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`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth hits 90% for 2020 - 9to5Mac
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`https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/27/airpods-dominate-wireless-headphone-market/
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