AirPods have become a huge success since they were introduced in 2016, and Apple has already expanded its lineup of wireless headphones – which also includes Beats products. According to a Statista survey, Apple leads the headphone market in the United States “by a considerable distance” thanks to AirPods and Beats.
Statista’s Global Consumer Survey of over 4,000 people in the United States last month revealed that AirPods account for about 34.4% of the headphone share in the country.
However, Apple’s lead in the segment becomes even larger when considering Beats, which comes in second place with 15.3% share. In other words, Apple dominates nearly 50% of the headphone share in the United States.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives estimates that AirPods have become a $20 billion annual business, and Apple is about to reach 100 million units sold of its wireless headphones by the end of this year. The numbers are corroborated by other reports that also put Apple in first place in the headphone vendor rankings.
Statista defines AirPods as the “most popular headphones on the planet”:
While many were impressed with the technology behind Apple’s first true wireless headphones, their design drew a lot of criticism and the internet was having a field day cracking jokes about the headphones’ looks, price and overall appeal. Five years later, it’s clear that Apple is getting the last laugh once again, as AirPods, now in their third generation, are quite possibly the most popular headphones on the planet.
Right behind Beats comes Bose’s headphones with 12.5% market share in the United States, followed by Samsung in fourth position with 12.2%. JBL (owned by Samsung), Sony, Skullcandy, and LG are also in the top eight ranked positions.
9to5Mac’s Take
AirPods are undeniably successful products. While Beats was already a strong brand in the segment, AirPods came out of nowhere with the premise of making wireless headphones good, more fun, and easy to use. There’s simply no other headphone that delivers seamless integration with the iPhone like the AirPods do.
Of course, part of the growth that the wireless headphone market has seen in recent years (especially Apple’s) is due to the fact that most devices no longer have a headphone jack. Still, consumers seem to like all the benefits that come with wireless accessories, even when they cost more than wired alternatives.
As I write this article, Apple currently offers four different models of the AirPods, ranging from the less expensive second-generation AirPods earbuds to the super-premium AirPods Max headphones. And with Beats products, Apple has a headphone for everyone.
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