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12 trends that show how true wireless earbuds became one of the ‘hottest’ gadgets in 2020
Gadgets Now Bureau21 Dec, 2020, 08:38AM IST
12 trends that show how true wireless earbuds became one of the ‘hottest’ gadgets in 2020
The year 2020 saw the market for Truly Wireless earbuds (TWS) expand. The pandemic and consequent rise in work from home as well as increased dependency on smartphones for entertainment led to the exponential demand for TWS earbuds. Depending on what users are looking for -- sound quality, comfort, battery life, or noise cancellation, there is a range of options for all. Here's looking at key trends that shaped the TWS market during the year.
Truly wireless earphones market grows big in India
The economic slowdown caused by the Pandemic did not affect the TWS category. As per IDC, TWS made for 39.7% of the overall earwear category, as close to 4 million TWS devices were shipped during the third quarter of the year 2020, recording a four-digit y-o-y growth of 1156.3%.
OnePlus, Vivo, Oppo, Realme, Xiaomi entered the truly wireless earbuds segment
The year 2020 saw Chinese smartphone brands Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Xiaomi enter the truly wireless earbuds segment in India. The entry of these companies made TWS earbuds affordable.
Globally Apple continued to lead the market
Globally, Apple continues to lead the truly wireless earbuds space -- a market it established. However, though the company continues to lead the premium segment, it lost market share as competitors release cheaper alternatives.
Indian market affordable TWS models ruled
In India, affordable TWS models dominated the headphones market. Boat, Xiaomi and Realme led the market in sales of these earbuds.
Design-wise Apple AirPods inspired models ruled the market
Apple AirPods design seems to be most ‘inspiring’ for almost all budget TWS makers. Buyers can get a lot of options in AirPod lookalikes in under Rs 10,000 range.
ANC models now available under Rs 5,000
Xiaomi, Oppo and Realme brought ANC (active noise cancellation) to TWS models priced below Rs 5,000.
The average price of TWS dropped
With new players entering the segment, the average price of TWS dropped as per research firm IDC.
Surge in the demand for TWS chipsets
There’s little doubt that the high demand for TWS led to a rise in demand for true wireless chips.
Overall wearables market also saw a rise in shipments powered by the demand for hearables in the global market
The pandemic led to an increase in demand for TWS both in India as well as globally. The work from home as well as the need for TWS for recreation purposes gave a strong boost to hearables market, powering the global wearables market that also includes smartwatches and fitness bands.
The market is likely to grow further in 2021
As per a recent report by Canalys, due to a rise in engagement in indoor activities as well as outdoor sports and recreation, there is a greater than expected growth for TWS earbuds. Shipments of TWS earbuds are expected to reach over 350 million units and grow 39% in 2021, much more than wearable bands, which as per the report is expected to grow at 12%.
Future trend: Smartphones with built-in TWS earbuds
Xiaomi recently patented a smartphone design that can house a pair of truly wireless earphones in compartments — similar to how Samsung Galaxy Note houses the S-Pen.
(Image courtesy: Let's Go Digital)
Future trend: Laptops with built-in TWS earbuds
Lenovo announced a new model — called ThinkBook 15 Gen 2 — that houses a slider tray for a pair of earbuds.
