The latest data from Canalys showed that global TWS headset shipments reached 68 million units in the first quarter of 2022. Apple took the first position capturing 32% market share, a year-on-year increase of 14%, far exceeding other brands.
Samsung ranks second, with a market share of only 9%, down 4% year-on-year, and a 23% gap with Apple. Xiaomi ranked third with a share of 7%, down 16% year-on-year. The fourth and fifth places are Skullcandy and Edifier, respectively. They came with a market share of 5% and 3%, a year-on-year increase of 53% and 24%.
In China, the top five brands are Apple, Xiaomi, Edifier, Huawei, and QCY. They have market shares of 16%, 15%, 12%, 11%, and 8%, respectively. Among them, Apple and QCY sales declined, while Xiaomi, Edifier, and Huawei maintained growth.
From the charts, we can see that in China and in the global market, Apple is the overlord of the TWS headset market, and the sales of AirPods are too hot. The AirPods 3 sold particularly well, despite a lot of dissatisfaction online following their launch. At the same time, as the price of the old AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro gradually decreases, many customers choose them as their next Bluetooth headsets.
The competition in the Chinese TWS headset market is much more intense. Major mobile phone manufacturers have launched their own Bluetooth headset products, and the speed of replacement is also very fast. Although the Apple AirPods are very popular, they have not been updated for a long time, and the price is not dominant. It is no longer as popular in China as it used to be.
The price of noise-canceling headphones has also been lowered. So customers have a wide range of products to choose from. Xiaomi has continuously narrowed the gap with Apple with its consistent cost-effective strategy. Perhaps in the second quarter, Xiaomi can surpass Apple in one fell swoop and become the first in China.
True wireless earphones have become the mainstream. At the same time, everyone has higher and higher requirements for sound quality and functions. It is difficult for low-end products to deceive consumers, and everyone is gradually moving closer to big brands. In this sense, domestic brands such as Xiaomi and OPPO are more competitive in price. In the future, they will definitely be able to gradually steal the market of Apple AirPods. Apple has to hurry up and release new models.
