AirPods have become a phenomenon since their introduction in 2016, and Apple has had the foresight to expand its range of wireless headphones – which also includes products from the Beats brand. According to a Statista survey, Apple leads the US headphone market “by a considerable distance” thanks to AirPods and Beats.
Apple largely dominates its competitors in the headphones and earphones market
Statista’s survey of more than 4,000 consumers in the United States last month found that AirPods have about 34.4% market share in the country.
However, Apple’s lead in the segment becomes even greater when considering Beats, which comes in second place with 15.3% share. In other words, Apple is taking over half of the industry in the United States.
Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, estimates that AirPods have become a $20 billion annual business, and that Apple is on track to hit 100 million units sold by the end of the year. These figures are corroborated by other reports which also place Apple in the first place in the ranking of headphone sellers.
Statista defines AirPods as the “most popular headphones on the planet”:
While many were impressed with the technology of Apple’s first true wireless earbuds, their design drew a lot of criticism and the internet had fun joking about their looks, price and general appeal. Five years later, it’s clear that Apple has once again had the final say, as the AirPods, now in their third generation, are quite possibly the most popular headphones on the planet.
Just behind Beats are headphones from Bose with 12.5% market share in the United States, followed by Samsung in fourth place with 12.2%. JBL (owned by Samsung), Sony, Skullcandy and LG are also in the top eight spots.
So Apple hit hard with its AirPods that came out of nowhere with the premise of making wireless headphones good, more fun, and easier to use. There simply aren’t any other earbuds that fit seamlessly into the iPhone like the AirPods do. Except the Beats, whose latest Fit Pro and Studio Buds are a hit thanks to well-placed prices.
As for Apple products, remember that all models are currently on sale: AirPods 2, AirPods 3, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.