True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphone madness seen in recent years is also expected to grow into this year. According to the latest Counterpoint research forecast report, we should see around 310 million TWS earphones shipped in 2021, an increase of 33% compared to the 233 million units sold in 2020. Apple, Xiaomi and Samsung are expected to remain the three largest players in the field.
Despite the ongoing pandemic and declining consumer spending, worldwide TWS earphone shipments grew by 78% last year. According to previous reports, 233 million cordless earphones were shipped in 2020, well above initial expectations. TWS earphones remained one of the most in-demand technology products in the past year with low to mid-range offerings experiencing the highest growth.
Apple still led the way last year and is expected to catch up with most shipments again with approx. 27% market share. Xiaomi is expected to remain in a distant second place with 9% of the market, while Samsung is likely to round out the top three positions with its 7% market share. The July-September quarter is expected to be peak time for the market, and there is certainly plenty of interest around Apple’s next AirPods release, which should arrive in the fall.
