An analysis has emerged indicating a trend of price reductions in the wireless earphone market due to intensifying competition.
On the 27th, market research firm Counterpoint Research reported that the global wireless earphone market grew by 7% last year, thanks to new product releases from Apple and Samsung. According to Counterpoint Research, the market share of wireless earphones by price range last year was 22% for products priced at $150 (over 220,000 won), 15% for those priced at $101 to $149 (150,000 to 220,000 won), 13% for those priced at $50 to $100 (70,000 to 150,000 won), and 49% for products under $50 (under 70,000 won).
Compared to 2023, the market share of high-priced products over $150 decreased by 5 percentage points from the previous year (27%). In contrast, the market share of products priced at $101 to $149 increased significantly from 8% to 15%. Last year, Apple, which had about 70% market share in the over $150 price range, saw a significant increase in sales in the $100 to $150 market by launching the AirPods 4 without Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) features at $129.
Samsung Electronics is also competing with other low-cost brands by launching the Galaxy Buds Fan Edition (FE) at $99.
Counterpoint Research noted, "Until now, wireless earphone manufacturers have struggled to find differentiation points after the introduction of Active Noise Cancelling, leading them to grow primarily around products priced under $50," and explained, "Unlike other major IT devices such as smartphones and tablets, which have experienced polarization, the wireless earphone market is generally showing a trend of price reductions."