• boAt led the market with a 36.4% share, while OnePlus and realme took the second and third spots respectively.
• OPPO entered the top five for the first time.
• The INR 1,000-INR 2,000 price band captured over two-thirds of the total market in Q2 2022.
• OnePlus’ Bullets Wireless Z2 Edition was the best-selling device, followed by the boAt Rockerz 255 series and boAt Rockerz 235 v2.
• More than three-fourths of the total neckband models were sold online with Flipkart capturing 52% share.

New Delhi, Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, London, San Jose, Buenos Aires – September 12, 2022

India’s neckband market shipments grew 71% YoY and 52% QoQ in Q2 2022, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s IoT Service. This growth was driven by a greater preference for these devices due to their look and comfort, and the availability of improved features at an affordable price.

Commenting on the overall market, Senior Research Analyst Anshika Jain said, “India’s neckband market witnessed remarkable growth in Q2 2022 with most of the new launches coming from the affordable price segment (less than ₹2,000 or $25). Many of the top OEMs are focusing on the ₹1,000-₹2,000 (or $13-$25) price band by adding features like voice assistance, low latency for gaming, noise cancellation, and music control through gestures.”

Source: India Hearables (Neckband) Shipments, Model Tracker, Q2 2022

“In Q2 2022, the local production increased over 2.5x QoQ with an 8% share in the total shipment volume, compared to 5% in Q1 2022. boAt manufactured more than two-thirds of the domestic volume in Q2 2022 followed by homegrown brands Mivi and Noise. In the second half of 2022, we expect more brands to introduce ‘Make in India’ devices,” Jain said.

Talking about product features, Research Director Tarun Pathak said, “The brands are pushing neckbands with long battery life. This feature is also attracting consumers as other wireless hearables have limited operating hours. The shipment share of the neckbands with 30+ hours of playtime increased to 40% in Q2 2022 from 17% in Q1 2022. In addition, some of the most demanded features like active noise cancellation, insta-charge and dual pairing technology are moving into lower price bands to attract cost-conscious customers.”

Market Summary

• boAt topped the charts for the ninth consecutive quarter with a 36.4% shipment share driven by its value-for-money offerings like the Rockerz 255 series, Rockerz 235V2 and Rockerz 245V2.
• OnePlus and realme were among the top five brands due to their new launches in the affordable segment and support from their smartphone user base. The OnePlus Bullets wireless Z2 was the best-selling neckband in Q2 2022, capturing more than 10% of the Indian neckband market. realme focused on offering popular features like ANC at an affordable price.
• Ubon entered the top-five club for the first time in the Indian neckband market driven by multiple affordable neckbands.
• OPPO grew 74% QoQ due to the popularity of its newly launched Enco M32 in the budget segment. Strong online and offline presence helped the brand enter the top five in Q2 2022.
• Noise grew 50% QoQ with its popular models Nerve and Flair capturing half of its total portfolio.
• Xiaomi maintained a position in the top 10 list with the Redmi SonicBass being its major volume driver.
• Other emerging brands in the market included TECNO, Mivi, Ptron and Dizo.

Background

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.

Analyst Contacts:

Anshika Jain

Tarun Pathak

Counterpoint Research

press(at)counterpointresearch.com