AirPods sales reach $20 billion a year, Apple leads the US headphone market

When Apple launched its first wireless earbuds, many fans mocked and criticized their design. But five years later, AirPods are now in their third generation. According to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives , AirPods have an annual revenue of $20 billion and are expected to sell 100 million units a year.

According to a global consumer survey conducted by Statista on more than 4,000 people in the United States , 34.4% of people use AirPods, and Beats ranks second with a share of 15.3%. In other words, Apple has nearly 50% of the headphone market share in the United States , winning "half of the headphone market in the United States." For this reason , Statista also calls AirPods "the most popular headphone on the planet."

Apple's foray into the wireless stereo (TWS) headset space has proven to be a huge success. According to TFI Asset Management Limited's senior Apple analyst , Apple sold nearly 27 million AirPods (third generation) during last year's holiday season alone .

Outside of the United States, Apple is by far the most popular headphone brand among French consumers. Among the more than 1,100 adults surveyed in France , 26% of respondents said they use Apple headphones; JBL and Samsung ranked second and third, at 17% and 15% respectively.

According to data, after Apple launched the AirPods wireless headphones in 2016, it also launched new products such as the AirPods Pro and the head-mounted AirPods Max with more powerful functions. In 2020, Apple headphones including AirPods and Beats have already dominated the market, with annual shipments reaching about 108.9 million.

Based on the situation in overseas markets, consumers pay the most attention to sound quality and price when purchasing wireless headphones, with 56% of people paying attention to the sound quality and price of headphones; the second most important factor is ear comfort, accounting for 53%.

Although the market share of Apple headphones cannot be ignored, according to a report by JW insights , since 2020, more than 40 brands including Xiaomi and realme have begun to enter the international market, and the brands are also constantly improving the price and quality of wireless headphone products. In Southeast Asia and India, wireless headphones priced under 100 yuan are very popular.

Therefore, when sellers are planning to enter the headphone market, they should try to gain advantages in price and quality in order to win more market share.

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