Apple AirPods Exceed Expectations, Grab 26% Wireless Market Share: Study

Within a month of the release of one of the most anticipated wireless headsets globally, AirPods have finally emerged as clear winners in the consumer’s list as they’ve taken over Beats and Bose in the wireless headphone market share.

According to a recent study by Slice Intelligence, 75% of all headphones sold in December were of the wireless variety. Notably, December was the month Apple’s wireless AirPods became available. Slice noted that on the day of the AirPod launch, spending on headphones grew ten times greater than the pre-holiday average for 2016, calling it “the largest single day of online headphone spending last year.”

AirPods accounted for 26% of U.S. online sales of wireless headphones in December after their debut. Bose wireless headphones came in second during the Dec. 13-31 period with 16.1% share, followed closely by Apple’s Beats headphones with 15.4%. Sony was in third place with 4.2%, followed by Jaybird (2.5%) and Plantronics (2.2%), Slice said.

While taking questions at the New York Stock Exchange a couple days after Christmas, Tim Cook said the AirPods had been “a runaway success” and that Apple is “making them just as fast as we can” in order to meet demand. Cook’s response combined with Slice’s study suggests that despite the backlash Apple received for removing the traditional headphone jack from its iPhone 7, consumers — as evidenced by their spending — have changed their tune.

It will be interesting to see if AirPods are able to keep their momentum after the holiday rush wears off, but for now the demand has exceeded supply. AirPods are sold out worldwide at Apple Stores as of writing, according to tracker IsInStock.com.

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