The TWS market continues to expand, and chips play an important role

When it comes to what is hot in the electronics industry, wireless charging and TWS are definitely hot topics that cannot be underestimated. The earphones are free of transmission cables and can be connected to mobile phones using Bluetooth to play music and make calls. This is the True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphones.

The chip module in WS plays an important role. If we further disassemble the components, we will find that it contains important components including processor, Bluetooth chip, power management chip, MEMS microphone, MEMS accelerometer, etc., which can save you a wire and make it more convenient to use.

Processors and Bluetooth are mostly integrated, using 5.0 specifications

In terms of chip modules, the trend of integrating processors and Bluetooth chips is clear due to the smaller and smaller volume requirements. Most Bluetooth functions in TWS now use the 5.0 specification. Chip design companies will develop new products based on the 5.0 architecture and provide different solutions to customers. Industry insiders believe that the 5.0 specification has longer distance and larger data transmission capacity than 4.0, but for TWS, the distance between the mobile phone and TWS is not too far, and the data is only music files, so the important thing is the stability and security of data transmission capacity, which can enhance the listening experience.

Among the 5.0 specifications, MESH, one of the technologies favored by TWS manufacturers, is one of the characteristics of Bluetooth. For example, it can connect devices to each other without Wi-Fi, connect headphones in different spaces, and allow multiple people to conduct voice conferences or group calls at the same time. These are all trends that can replace the use of software calling applications in the future.

MEMS microphones and sensing elements add functionality

As the demand for upgrading voice functions of mobile devices accelerates, MEMS microphones are absolutely key in TWS. The so-called MEMS microphone is made of semiconductor process, including two chips, ASIC and sensor, and is covered with metal or plastic shell to form a cavity. There will be a small hole in the cavity, either top or bottom, which is the channel for sound to enter. After receiving the sound, it is transmitted to the processor for data analysis.

MEMS manufacturers and processor manufacturers often maintain a close cooperative relationship and jointly develop products. In addition to stable supply, the ability to continuously develop new products and new functions is the key to expanding market share. For example, brand customers can further develop new products based on MEMS technology, or MEMS manufacturers can learn about market demand from brand customers, which can bring technology and demand closer.

The MEMS microphone market has shipped 1 billion units since 2011, gradually replacing traditional ECM microphones every year. By 2018, the market shipments had exceeded 5.4 billion units, and are expected to reach a high growth rate of 6 billion units in 2019. In 2021, the shipment level is expected to reach 7.5 billion units, mainly due to the addition of voice functions to more mobile devices, thus accelerating the demand for MEMS microphones.

In addition to the microphone, TWS also has a MEMS accelerometer, which is a type of sensing element that can detect changes in the user's posture and then make corresponding actions, such as waking up the device by tapping the earphone. In addition, bone conduction sensing elements are also a type of accelerometer, especially in earphones and microphones that process sound, the sensing element can eliminate a lot of noise, making the user experience even better.

In addition to accelerometers, there are many other sensing component projects, including pressure gauges, gyroscopes, etc. It depends on what projects the headphone manufacturers will add in the future to increase market highlights and make the TWS industry hot again.

In the future, the technology of MEMS microphones and sensor chips will continue to develop towards low power consumption and high performance, especially in the terminal applications mainly for portable devices. Power consumption is the focus of consumers. Whether the device can maintain stable use and low power consumption is important. Especially with more and more TWS functions, the use of components will also increase. The power consumption of each component combined may increase the power consumption of the device. Therefore, whether each chip design can make the winding more streamlined and the process more advanced are the directions of future continuous research and development.

TWS market has a big future, new functions are the key to growth

The TWS market continues to expand, and everyone from Apple to non-Apple devices wants to share this market. Whether TWS can add new functions in the future, such as wireless charging and waterproofing, is also a focus of outside expectations.

Currently, chip manufacturers are working with customers to develop a method of placing wireless charging chips into earphones. Currently, TWS uses a charging box to charge the earphones. The charging box has a wireless charging function. After the function is added to the earphones, the earphones can be taken off and directly placed on the charging pad for charging, which saves trouble. In the future, earphones may regard waterproof function as an important function, so the significance of using wireless charging for earphones will increase.

Inventory of existing TWS solution providers

Currently, the most mature TWS headset market is undoubtedly the AirPods launched by Apple.

Looking at the relevant suppliers, the most mature technology belongs to CSR, a giant in the Bluetooth audio market (acquired by Qualcomm in August 2015), which is also one of the most mainstream TWS solutions in the market.

Currently, the one that occupies a larger share in the Bluetooth audio market and is more acceptable to the public in terms of cost and technology is Airoha AIROHA (owned by MediaTek and acquired by MTK in February 2017).

Next are Hengxuan BES and Realtek. Hengxuan is a company founded in 2015. Currently, many large domestic manufacturers are using the BES23 series for development, including Huawei's second generation. It is said that Hengxuan chips have very good sound quality.

The advantage of Taiwan's Realtek is that its low power consumption is more in line with TWS headphones.

Others include: Zhuhai JieLi, Guangzhou Ankai Anyka, Shanghai BK, Zhuhai JieLi, RDA, Zhongke Bluexun, etc. They started relatively late, but they can also get a share of the TWS audio market.

In addition, there is Taiwan's Yuanxiang, which has risen rapidly recently and is also a major "spoiler" in this market.