Apple Tops True Wireless Earbuds Market, Xiaomi Beats Samsung To Claim Second Place

Currently, most leading Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Meizu, Huawei and Vivo all have at least one true wireless headset. So which company is leading this market? The answer is Apple.

According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, the global market size for true wireless headphones reached 33 million units, generating $4.1 billion in revenue in the third quarter of 2019. This figure represents a growth of 22 %.

In particular, the US accounted for 31% of the global wireless headset market with more than 10 million units sold. The second-largest market in the world - China also saw a 44% QoQ growth in the third quarter.

In terms of specific brands, Apple still leads the market for true wireless headsets, although the market share dropped from 53% in the previous quarter to 45%. Apple continues to lead by increasing sales of AirPods 2. Xiaomi managed to beat Samsung to jump to second place. Thanks to an increase in sales volume mostly from the Chinese market, Xiaomi climbed from fourth place last year. The product that contributed the most is the Redmi Airdots, which has been considered as a great budget headphone for the price range of around $20 (roughly Rs. 1,400). With a 6 percent market share, Samsung is dropped to third place.

JBL and Beats are placed in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. Their premium products such as Beats Powerbeats Pro released in May and JBL TUNE 120 launched in July have both seen an increase in the market share, thanks to favorable reviews of design and sound quality by consumers.

It should be noted that the survey was only conducted in the third quarter of 2019, so new AirPods Pro data has not yet appeared in the Counterpoint Research chart. But Counterpoint Research says the sales of the new AirPods Pro will be very positive.