Apple was the only true wireless stereo maker that grew shipments in quarter one of 2022

Global TWS (true wireless stereo) shipments grew 17% in quarter one of 2022 to reach 68.2 million units, according to the latest Canalys data. Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi retained their top three positions from the previous quarter, but only Apple grew shipments. 

Among the top five TWS vendors, Skullcandy and Edifier, both audio players, gained market share while the top three lost it. Since the third quarter of 2021, TWS remains the only growing category, leading to the overall 4% growth in the worldwide smart personal audio market. 

Market leader Apple’s TWS shipments were up 14%, according to Canalys. Apple’s AirPods line grew 3% to reach 19.3 million units, while Beats by Dre, Apple’s audio sub-brand, contributed more significant growth, increasing 553% to reach 2.4 million units. Beats’ strong performance was driven by the popularity of its Studio Buds and the recently launched Fit Pro. 

Apple sold 21.7 million TWS devices in the first quarter of 2022, giving it 31.8% market share. That compares to sales of 19.1 million in quarter one of 2021.