AirPods held a disproportionately large share of the global wireless headset market in 2020, according to a new report by Strategy Analytics.
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With sales of over 300 million units, the sales market for True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Bluetooth headsets grew by almost 90% last year. Apple’s “AirPods” have almost half of the entire market, with the rest being made up of a large number of companies with small shares individually.
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Despite Apple’s dominance, Strategy Analytics notes that its leadership is shrinking as competition intensifies:
“Apple maintained its leadership in the TWS segment in 2020, but its share of the leadership is shrinking as the competition intensifies. Strong competition is expected from Xiaomi, Samsung and Huawei in 2021,” said Ken Hyers, Director of Strategy Analytics . “The TWS headset market is already extremely overcrowded and, despite strong sales prospects, there will inevitably be consolidation in the coming years.”
It is expected that there is still “a lot of potential in the broader Bluetooth headset market” due to low penetration and an installation base that remains small. According to Ville-Petteri Ukonaho, associate director at Strategy Analytics, “less than one in ten people own a Bluetooth headset worldwide, so there is still significant room for growth.” In addition, as suppliers stop bundling wired headsets with new smartphones, Strategy Analytics forecasts considerable growth potential in the market.