Counterpoint Research: Apple continues to dominate the UK hearables market

Six out of 10 hearable users in the UK plan to buy a True Wireless Stereo (TWS) headset within a year, according to a Counterpoint Research Consumer Lens study. And the news is good for Apple and its AirPods and AirPods Pro.

“Apple will continue its dominance of the UK hearable market because of its loyal smartphone user base,” says Pavel Naiya, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. “Bose is well-known for its wireless headphones and this popularity is translating also to TWS, helped by recent attractive offers. Sony’s high ratings in media reviews have helped it secure the third strongest brand preference – similar to Bose.”

This consumer research study highlights the inclination of consumers towards TWS, with one-third preferring TWS for regular use.  The UK’s TWS market is set to grow at a 64% compound annual growth rate to 17 million units in 2022, notes Counterpoint Research.

Looking at the future potential of TWS hearables, users who currently only have wireless hearables, 70% of them are interested in buying a TWS in the future. Among users who have both wired and wireless hearables, 60% of them are interested in TWS. 

Counterpoint Research says the interest level is lowest among users who only have wired hearables, where only 44% of them are interested in a TWS purchase in the future. However, this is, at least partially, driven by users simply making use of the headphones supplied with most smartphones, adds the research group.

Counterpoint Research’s consumer-level survey was conducted with hearable users in the UK during May 2020. The consumer opinion belongs to a heterogeneous group in terms of age, monthly income, gender, and occupation. Data points were selected which abided all the logical checks throughout the analysis section and gave a better representation of the ongoing hearable trend and future opinion in the UK.