Statista is out with numbers on the U.S. headphone market. Not surprisingly, Apple owns half of it. The tracker of stats put out a short blurb with a pretty chart on Thursday. Apple’s dominance of the space is down to a couple of things: it’s purchase of Beats in 2014 and the introduction of AirPods in 2016. On the AirPods, Statista says:
While many were impressed with the technology behind Apple's first true wireless headphones, their design drew a lot of criticism and the internet was having a field day cracking jokes about the headphones’ looks, price and overall appeal.
Five years later, it's clear that Apple is getting the last laugh once again, as AirPods, now in their third generation, are quite possibly the most popular headphones on the planet.
I saw a Tweet the other day from @theramalmedia. It said in part, “You don't actually NEED an Apple Watch until you have one…” I kind of agree, and that’s also where I am, personally, on AirPods. When they came out the price seemed crazy, the look seemed stupid, and now I’m on my second pair.
The piece has Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives estimating that - by themselves - AirPods are a $20-billion-a-year business. Statista gives Apple a 34.4% share of the U.S. headphone market. That’s followed by Apple subsidiary Beats with a 15.3% share, and there’s your (just under) 50%.
