AirPods Are Still Untouchable as Apple Crushes the Competition in 2025

Apple maintained its position as the global leader in the wireless headphone market in the first quarter of 2025, achieving 18.2 million shipments and capturing a 23.3% market share, according to new data from Canalys.

The data suggests that Apple, including its Beats subsidiary, continues to leverage its hardware-software ecosystem to dominate the true wireless stereo (TWS) market. Although its market share declined slightly from 24.4% in the first quarter of 2024, Apple still obtained a 12% year-over-year growth in shipments, contributing significantly to the global market's overall rebound. Total global TWS shipments rose to 78.3 million units—marking an 18% annual increase, which is the fastest growth rate for the category since 2021.

Leading brands are reportedly expanding aggressively in both geographic reach and product positioning to capture new customers. Apple's continued growth is attributed to its strategic focus on adding health-related integrations and ecosystem. Features such as seamless device switching, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and hands-free Siri continue to differentiate Apple's products in a crowded and increasingly price-sensitive market. The latest Powerbeats Pro 2 include heart rate monitoring, while the AirPods Pro 2 now feature a series of hearing health functionalities, including the ability to work as medical-grade hearing aids.

While Apple continues to lead in established markets, including North America where it holds over 50% market share, growth in emerging regions is being driven by aggressive pricing and localization strategies from rival vendors. For example, Xiaomi achieved a 63% year-over-year increase in shipments, reaching nine million units and surpassing Samsung to become the second-largest TWS vendor globally. Samsung, which includes Harman subsidiaries such as JBL, shipped 5.6 million units and held a 7.1% share. Huawei and Indian brand boAt rounded out the top five, with a 6.0% and 4.9% market share respectively.

The broader market shift away from basic audio functionality toward lifestyle and ecosystem value places Apple in a favorable position, provided it continues to expand the utility and desirability of its headphone offerings. Canalys attributed the U.S. market's renewed growth partly to inventory buildup ahead of anticipated tariff changes, which prompted retail partners to stockpile high-demand products, including Apple's.

Canalys also highlighted the growing momentum of open-ear wireless devices (OWS), a category that includes ear-hook and ear-clip designs aimed at merging audio technology with fashion and a more ambient listening experience. OWS products currently trail traditional TWS devices in terms of audio fidelity, but Canalys said that some vendors are working with audio labs to narrow the gap. While Apple has not entered the OWS segment, the trend toward lifestyle-oriented form factors could influence the company's future products.