Wireless Earbuds Grow 24% in Q3... Budget-Friendly 'Xiaomi' Dominates

24% Growth in Q3... Expansion of Entry-Level Locations
Wireless Earphone Market Share: Apple, Xiaomi, Samsung Order

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] As wired earphones provided by smartphone manufacturers disappear and mobile content consumption increases, the wireless earphone market continues to grow in double digits.

According to market research firm Counterpoint Research on the 11th, the wireless earphone market in the third quarter grew by 24% compared to the same period last year. It is analyzed that the growth trend of the wireless earphone market was prominent not only in existing advanced markets but also in China, India, and South America.

Market share by manufacturer was highest in the order of Apple (29%), Xiaomi (13%), Samsung (5%), JBL (5%), QCY (3%), JLab (3%), and Jabra (2%). The share of Others (40%) was the largest. Apple's market share, which had no new product releases this year, fell by 6% compared to the previous quarter, and Samsung and Jabra also saw slight declines in market share.

Xiaomi, which dominates the budget wireless earphone market, showed continuous growth. Four Xiaomi wireless earphone products, including Redmi AirDots and AirDots S, ranked within the top 10 bestsellers in the third quarter.

As online sales channels expanded, sales of mid-to-low priced brands also increased significantly. The share of wireless earphones priced under $100 exceeded half of the market for the first time, accounting for 56%. It was found that the market position of competitive mid-to-low priced brands is greatly expanding in North America and China.

Lee Yoon-jung, an analyst at Counterpoint, said, "Considering the peak season effects such as Black Friday, Christmas, and year-end promotions in the fourth quarter, the global wireless earphone market size for the entire year is expected to exceed the initially forecasted 220 million units," adding, "Due to the spread of COVID-19 and the economic downturn, the growth axis is shifting from premium to mid-to-low priced brands, so the average selling price of products sold this year is expected to fall short of the initial forecast."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.