`
`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth hits 90% for 2020 - 9to5Mac
`
`Exclusives
`
`
`Guides
`
`
`Mac
`
`
`iPhone
`
`
`Watch
`
`
`iPad
`
`
`Music
`
`
`TV
`
`JANUARY 27
`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth
`hits 90% for 2020
`
`Michael Potuck - Jan. 27th 2021 7:46 am PT (cid:0) @michaelpotuck
`
`17 Comments
`
`
`
`(cid:0) (cid:0) (cid:0) (cid:0) (cid:0)
`
`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.
`
`https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/27/airpods-dominate-wireless-headphone-market/
`
`1/5
`
`Page 1 of 5
`
`KOSS-2044
`IPR2021-00686
`
`
`
`9/16/21, 11:18 AM
`
`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth hits 90% for 2020 - 9to5Mac
`
`
`
`Exclusives
`
`
`Guides
`
`
`Mac
`
`
`iPhone
`
`
`Watch
`
`
`iPad
`
`
`Music
`
`
`TV
`
`The new report from Strategy Analytics says that the global total of Bluetooth headset shipments pushed past
`300 million for 2020.
`
`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.
`
`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.
`
`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.
`
`https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/27/airpods-dominate-wireless-headphone-market/
`
`2/5
`
`Page 2 of 5
`
`KOSS-2044
`IPR2021-00686
`
`
`
`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
`
`Hyers, Director at Strategy Analytics. “While the pandemic slowed demand brie y during the rst
`half of the year, sales rebounded strongly during the second half. The Work From Home shift
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Exclusives
`Guides
`Mac
`iPhone
`Watch
`iPad
`Music
`TV
`bene tted the entire Bluetooth headset category in terms of sales volume growth.”
`
`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.
`
`“Apple maintained a commanding lead in the TWS segment in 2020, but its commanding share is
`shrinking as competition intensi es. 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.
`
`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.
`
`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.
`
`“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 signi cant room for growth. As leading vendors are no longer bundling wired
`headsets with new smartphones, we see huge potential for Bluetooth headsets.”
`
`FTC: We use income earning auto a liate links. More.
`
`Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:
`
`
`
`iOS 15 Beta 5 Changes and Features!iOS 15 Beta 5 Changes and Features!
`
`https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/27/airpods-dominate-wireless-headphone-market/
`
`3/5
`
`Page 3 of 5
`
`KOSS-2044
`IPR2021-00686
`
`
`
`9/16/21, 11:18 AM
`
`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth hits 90% for 2020 - 9to5Mac
`
`Guides
`
`
`
`Exclusives
`
`
`Watch
`
`
`
`
`Guides
`Mac
`iPhone
`AAPL Company
`Breaking news from Cupertino. We’ll give you the latest from Apple headquarters and decipher fact
`from ction from the rumor mill.
`
`
`iPad
`
`
`Music
`
`
`TV
`
`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.
`
`Michael Potuck's favorite gear
`Satechi USB-C Charger (4 ports)
`
`Really useful USB-C + USB-A charger for home/work and travel.
`
`Apple Leather MagSafe Wallet
`
`My slim wallet of choice for iPhone 12
`
`How the new iPad mini compares to the iPad mini 5
`How the new iPad mini compares to the iPad mini 5
`
`iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 13 Pro
`iPhone 13 vs. iPhone 13 Pro
`
`https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/27/airpods-dominate-wireless-headphone-market/
`
`4/5
`
`Page 4 of 5
`
`KOSS-2044
`IPR2021-00686
`
`
`
`9/16/21, 11:18 AM
`
`AirPods dominate wireless headphone market as global growth hits 90% for 2020 - 9to5Mac
`
`
`
`Exclusives
`
`
`Guides
`
`
`Mac
`
`
`iPhone
`
`
`Watch
`
`
`iPad
`
`
`Music
`
`
`TV
`
`https://9to5mac.com/2021/01/27/airpods-dominate-wireless-headphone-market/
`
`5/5
`
`Page 5 of 5
`
`KOSS-2044
`IPR2021-00686
`
`