As Chinese manufacturers make efforts, sales of true wireless stereo (TWS) headphones soared in 2020

The latest research report released by the Emerging Device Technologies (EDT) team of Strategy Analytics predicts that the total sales of Bluetooth headsets worldwide will exceed 300 million units in 2020. Among them, the sales of true wireless stereo (TWS) Bluetooth headsets increased by nearly 90%. The report provides forecasts for global TWS Bluetooth headsets, Bluetooth headset sales and revenue by 2025, and also lists in detail the global market share of leading TWS headset manufacturers in 2020.

Ken Hyers, Director at Strategy Analytics, said, “TWS headsets have driven global sales in the Bluetooth headset segment. Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary reduction in demand in the first half of the year, sales of TWS headsets rebounded strongly in the second half of the year. ‘Working from home’ has driven sales growth of Bluetooth headsets.”

Ville-Petteri Ukonaho, Associate Director at Strategy Analytics, said: “There is still a lot of potential in the wider Bluetooth headset market. Our research shows that the market inventory and penetration of Bluetooth headsets are still low; less than one in ten people worldwide own a Bluetooth headset, so there is still a lot of room for growth. As leading vendors no longer bundle wired headphones with new smartphones, the market potential for Bluetooth headsets is huge.”

Ken Hyers continued, "In 2020, Apple maintained its leading position in the TWS segment, but its dominance is shrinking as competition intensifies. In 2021, Apple is expected to face fierce competition from Xiaomi, Samsung and Huawei. The TWS headset market is already overcrowded; despite strong sales prospects, consolidation is inevitable in the next few years."