While the global wireless earphone market continues to grow rapidly, Xiaomi overtook Samsung Electronics for second place. Apple’s share dropped slightly, but it still topped the list with an overwhelming share.
According to a market research company Counterpoint Research on the 15th, the global wireless phone market recorded 33 million units ($4.1 billion by amount) in the third quarter of this year.
The U.S. accounted for 31% of the market and surpassed the 10 million mark for the first time in a single country’s history. China continued its frightening growth, growing 44 percent on-quarter.
Apple’s Airpod still in the lead, but Xiaomi is threatening the world’s wireless earphone market
Although Apple maintained its lead in the third quarter with the second generation of its Airpods, its market share dropped slightly from the previous quarter to 45 percent. Samsung also edged down to third place with a 6 percent share.
Xiaomi, on the other hand, rose to second place from fourth place in the previous quarter. Its cheaper “Redmi Dot,” which costs around $20, surged in sales mainly in China. However, it ranked eighth in terms of amount since it is a low-priced product unlike top-tier brands.
After that, JBL and Beats showed outstanding performances, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. The new Chinese brand Amoy rose to sixth place due to the popularity of its low-end model F9 in the domestic market. It beats out QCY, an existing strong player in the low-end product market.
Counterpoint Research predicted that the wireless earphone market will continue to grow at a high rate in the fourth quarter. This is because new products from famous brands such as Apple’s AirPod Pro, Amazon’s Eco Buzz, and Microsoft’s Surface Earbud will come out. And many expect them to have a peak season effect due to year-end promotions.
“There is a growing sense among consumers that wireless earphones are the most convenient Smartphone accessory. In the future, wireless earphones will replace some of the functions of smartphones and will evolve into smarter devices.” – Counterpoint
