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August 30^th, 2019

The true wireless hearables market for 2019 is expected to reach 120 million units backed by a pick up in demand in the Chinese market and the continued growth of existing major markets 

The size of the global market for true wireless hearables reached 27 million units in Q2 2019, growing 56% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), according to the findings of Counterpoint Research’s Hearables Market Tracker. While all major regions, including the US, have shown high growth, China has more than doubled due to the success of its 618 online shopping festival and the acceleration of demand for true wireless hearables.

Apple, the top global brand, continued its leadership by expanding sales of the second-generation AirPods launched in late March, but its market share fell to 53% in Q2 from 60% in the previous quarter due to the growth of the second-tier players. Driven by the strong sales of Galaxy Buds launched in early March, Samsung secured its second place with an 8% market share, the same as that in the previous quarter.

In addition, the brands that have been prominent in Q2 are Xiaomi and Beats. The sales of Xiaomi  Redmi Airdots, newly launched in April, surged with a favorable market review as a great budget product. Xiaomi is now aggressively catching up with QCY, the former leader in the low-end market. PowerBeats Pro, launched by Apple's affiliate Beats in May as its first true wireless hearables, has successfully settled in the premium market with good reviews of sound quality and design. However, it is more expensive than second-generation AirPods.

While premium models, around US$150 and above, still ranked high in the best-sellers list, QCY T1 and Xiaomi Redmi Airdots followed closely. New rising stars like Huawei Freebuds Lite, JBL TUNE 120, and PowerBeats Pro also showed a solid performance.

Liz Lee, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said, “The true wireless hearables market marked a steep growth in the second quarter. Given such a growth momentum in the first half of the year, we expect the annual size of the true wireless hearables market for 2019 to reach 120 million units. In addition to the continued growth of existing major markets such as the US and Europe, the consumer demand for budget true wireless hearables when purchasing a smartphone will become another growth engine, especially in China.”

Exhibit 1: Global Market Share by Brand for Q2 2019

Exhibit 2: Global Top 10 Best Selling List for Q2 2019

“Hearables Market Tracker Q2 2019” is available for purchase at report.counterpointresearch.com. Please feel free to reach out to us at press(at)counterpointresearch.com for further questions regarding our latest research, insights or press inquiries.

Analyst Contacts:

Liz Lee

Counterpoint Research

press(at)counterpointresearch.com