In a previous post, renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted the importance of AirPods headphones to Apple. The analyst suggests that their popularity will only grow in the coming years. The rise in popularity will lead companies like Google and Amazon to want to release their own wireless headphones.
Headphones AirPods are used by less than 5% of owners iPhone, but there are over a billion users and the number continues to grow. The demand for headphones has not dropped for two years since their release, which indicates an obvious success.
Kuo believes that AirPods will become the main product Apple because they will cause fewer users iOS to switch to Android. Wireless headphones also provide quick access to voice assistants, which are also growing in importance. In addition, according to the analyst, AirPods will work in tandem with Apple Watch to improve health functions.
We believe that AirPods is more to Apple than headphones and will become even more important to the ecosystem Apple in the future for the following reasons. (1) They make it more expensive to switch from iOS to Android. (2) It is an important device for interacting with voice assistants, providing quick access to them. (3) The ear is a great organ for collecting various health data. Headphones can get integration with Apple Watch for better health functions.
The rise in popularity of AirPods has caught the attention of companies Amazon and Google, which will release their headphone alternatives in the second half of 2019. Both companies will sell roughly 12-20 million pairs of their wireless earbuds, but they are no match for sales AirPods. Kuo expects to sell over 50 million pairs of headphones next year Apple, with the number reaching 100 million by 2021.
An updated version AirPods with wireless charging will be released early next year. The company has yet to confirm these rumors.