Apple held on to its dominant position in the wearables market during 2020, says a new report. Apple’s AirPods earbuds made up over one-quarter of all true wireless headphones shipments during the year.
A Counterpoint Research report says Apple products comprised 29% of true wireless stereo (TWS) shipments in Q3 2020, while its Apple Watch made up 28% of all smartwatch shipments. Apple consistently outperformed the competition in every wearables category it participates in, despite the fact that Apple devices are more expensive than most competitors.
“Apple’s powerful iOS ecosystem, typically comprised of consumers with larger disposable incomes, has been the main driver for growth – especially in terms of revenues,” said senior Counterpoint analyst Sujeong Lim. “High-end stalwart Samsung has also performed consistently.”
However, there was still plenty of room for budget offerings in the marketplace, as Xiaomi held second place during 2020, with a 13% market share. Half of the top 10 consisted of budget brands selling at the sub $50 level.
The research firm expects the wireless headphones industry to grow 83% to 238 million units this year, due to smartphone makers removing headphone jacks from their devices and removing earbuds from the box with their new handsets.
Counterpoint believes that the global health crisis will likely help the smartwatch market grow further, thanks to an increased interest in health and fitness. “We expect low double-digit growth through the medium term – possibly higher if average selling prices decline quickly,” said Lim.