The smart personal audio market – in terms of shipments – rose 10.5 percent to reach 106 million units in the second-quarter of 2024, according to the latest Canalys research.
Canalys analysts said this is the highest number of second-quarter shipments in history.
The smart personal audio market includes TWS, wireless earphones and wireless headphones.
Shipment of TWS has reached 77 million. Shipment of wireless headphones has reached 15 million units.
TWS innovation
TWS is the leader of the global smart personal audio market in Q2 2024, commanding 72.6 percent market share with 12.6 percent annual growth.
Leading vendors in the TWS segment have strategically priced models under $50. For the first time, the sub-$50 price segment accounted for more than 50 percent of the market this quarter.
“TWS vendors are looking to add novelty features to stand out from the intensifying competition with homogenous characteristics and price war,” said Cynthia Chen, Research Manager at Canalys.
Huawei’s Lipstick 2, designed as a lipstick, features premium materials and fashionable attributes to appeal to female audiences.
JBL has added a display in earphone cases to enable users to check the notification directly to reduce phone dependence and enhance interaction with the earphone which is positioned as a stand-alone device.
Players such as Nothing and iFlytek are looking to boost AI use cases by integrating AI assistant features into their latest launches. These emerging vendors hope to win over consumer mindshare by leveraging the AI trend.
Open-form factor
Open-form factor emerges as a growth spot for both TWS and wireless earphone categories. Open-form factor vendors are offering unique user experience and affordable price points.
Brands like Shokz are intensifying their focus on sports integration.
Huawei’s innovative clip-on designs enhance comfort and style.
Shokz and Huawei hold over 10 percent of the market share in the open-form factor segment.
“As the novelty of the new form factor will start to diminish in the next 12 months as more vendors launch products in this segment, vendors need to focus on product quality and feature improvement beyond the form factor innovation,” Cynthia Chen said.
QCY, Baseus and Anker are launching their $50 to $100 mass-market products in international markets. They are disrupting the entry-level segment with wireless connectivity and long battery life, penetrating retail channels.
Established audio vendors such as Bose and Sony dominate the high-end ($350 and above) market. Bose and Sony have refocused their strategies back to the high-end segment to differentiate themselves via premium sound quality, said Jack Leathem, Research Analyst at Canalys.
Baburajan Kizhakedath
