According to a new report on wireless headphone online spending over the past several weeks, Apple’s AirPods had a great holiday season. The report from Slice Intelligence, which collects its data from hundreds of millions of anonymized e-receipts, found that the $159 AirPods have accounted for more than a quarter of all online wireless headphones revenue since pre-orders for the product launched on December 13.
AirPods Pre-Order Launch Was Biggest Day for Online Headphone Sales
The report also finds that the AirPods pre-order launch was the biggest day for online headphone sales of the year, outpacing sales on Cyber Monday and Black Friday. A major part of this is no doubt related to the fact that the headphones had a pretty limited launch in retail stores due to low supply caused by manufacturing delays.
Apple’s Presence in Wireless Headphone Market
Apple already had a major presence in the wireless headphone market previous to the AirPods launch thanks to various wireless models of the company’s Beats headphones. The Slice data shows that in 2015 and 2016, around 24 percent of wireless headphones sold online were Beats-branded.
Wireless Headphones Continue to Gain Popularity
Headphones are by and large continuing to gain Bluetooth connectivity, Slice claims that nearly 75% of headphones purchases bought online this holiday season were of the wireless variety. This trend is expected to continue into next year as more phone manufacturers plot ditching the headphone jack.
Wireless Earbuds in Growth Period
As mentioned earlier, one of the clearest takeaways emerging from CES this year on the consumer hardware front was that wireless earbuds are in a clear period of growth moving into next year. As more phone manufacturers plot ditching the headphone jack, it seems to be an inevitable direction for the industry to head.
The Future of Wireless Earbuds
The AirPods are some of the most polished wireless earbud solutions currently available and are actually a bit cheaper than most options, though they’re still quite expensive. Whether this market position will sustain itself for Apple depends on them innovating the product category itself as they seek to reinvent what all a headphone can really do.
Industry Trends
There really haven’t been any product entrants in the wireless earbud space from legacy audio companies to date, so whether this market position will sustain itself for Apple depends on them innovating the product category itself as they seek to reinvent what all a headphone can really do.
The Rise of Wireless Headphones
Wireless headphones have been gaining popularity over the past few years, and it seems like this trend is expected to continue. With nearly 75% of headphones purchases bought online this holiday season being wireless, it’s clear that consumers are looking for more convenience and flexibility when it comes to their audio experiences.
The Impact of AirPods on Apple
With the success of the AirPods, it’s clear that Apple has made a significant impact on the wireless headphone market. The company’s innovative design and technology have set a new standard for wireless earbuds, and other manufacturers will likely be looking to follow in their footsteps.
Conclusion
In conclusion, despite delays, Apple’s AirPods had a great holiday season according to a new report on wireless headphone online spending over the past several weeks. The success of the AirPods is a testament to Apple’s innovative design and technology, and it seems like this trend is expected to continue into next year.
References
- Slice Intelligence Report: Wireless Headphone Online Spending Over Past Several Weeks
- TechCrunch Article: Apple’s AirPods Have a Great Holiday Season Despite Delays