Statistics: Chinese manufacturers boost sales of fully wireless headphones in 2020
Strategy Analytics reports that worldwide sales of Bluetooth headphones totaled 300 million in 2020. The most popular category was TWS headphones – they showed an annual growth of almost 90%.
The pandemic slowed headphone sales in the first half of 2020, but in the second half, on the contrary, sales rose strongly as people began to equip workspaces at home.
It was the shift to work from home, according to Ken Hyers, director of Strategy Analytics, that has spurred the Bluetooth headphone industry. Ville-Petter Ukonaho, deputy director of the company, noted that only every tenth user has wireless headphones.
Another reason for the growth in sales of wireless headphones may be the refusal of smartphone manufacturers to bundle devices with wired headsets.
Apple became the leader in sales of TWS headphones in 2020, however, a considerable share of the market belongs to Chinese manufacturers: Xiaomi, Huawei, Realme, Oppo and others. According to analysts, the TWS headphone market is overcrowded with participants, and consolidation is imminent in the near future despite strong sales.