Genuine wireless headsets: AirPods lead, but not for quality



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A large-scale consumer study found that AirPods are the most preferred brand in the US market for true wireless headsets – but are not chosen based on sound quality.

The study also shows that Sony and Samsung are not lagging behind Apple's consumer preferences …

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Counterpoint Research conducted the survey.

Apple is a distinct leader with AirPods in the category of true wireless headsets. Ease of use, comfort and fit, as well as portability were highlighted as the main reasons to choose the Apple AirPod over other wireless headsets.

Apple led the ranking, but not by the margin you could expect:

  • Apple: 19%
  • Sony: 17%
  • Samsung: 16%
  • Bose: 10%
  • Beats: 6%
  • Sennheiser: 5%
  • LG: 4%
  • Jabra: 2%

However, in terms of the reasons for choosing the AirPods, sound quality was the least important criterion. Only 41% of consumers have described it as one of the main reasons for the purchase. Of the brands cited, Bose was the most favored brand for audio quality, citing it as the main reason cited by 72% of people in favor of the company.

Counterpoint claims that AirPods accounted for nearly 75% of true wireless headset sales in 2018, at around 35 million units. The long-awaited second-generation model is expected to continue to stimulate the market this year, with total sales of 129 million units by 2020.

The company says that the inclusion of voice assistants is essential to attract real wireless headsets.

Above all, personal voice assistants such as Apple Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are likely to boost the market from 2019. Future generations of exploitable devices will accommodate virtual personal assistants and serve a multitude of tasks such as as hands-free instructions. Ultimately, scalable technologies can reduce smartphone usage because they can support many of the tasks that users are now solving with the help of their smartphones.

[Among the] many interesting features to integrate into future exploitable devices [are] Intelligent hearing aids, real-time language translation, tracking your vital functions, etc.

Headphones of all types are used by more than two-thirds of respondents for more than 40 minutes a day. A quarter of respondents use them to listen to more than one hour of video content per day.

We recently compared Samsung's Galaxy Buds to the AirPods, and while the Korean company's headphones offer great fit and wireless charging, they are unlikely to appeal to many iPhone users.

My preferences for true wireless headsets remain Master & Dynamic's MW07 models, although RHA's Planar CL2 delivers stunning sound quality if you can manage a Bluetooth headband and a $ 900 price tag.

Wireless Hyper Chargers

Photo: Shutterstock


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