Apple’s AirPods (happily) occupy ears in Germany

We love ’em, basically.

Driven by AirPods and Beats, Apple dominates the German market for true wireless stereo speakers, Counterpoint claims. It is likely to continue to do so.

Hearts and… ears

What’s potentially most important here is customer satisfaction and future purchasing preferences. Apple to have achieved a strike against the sweeter spot, with 70% of current users planning to stick with their current brand. Interestingly, 72% of the 600-strong sample group use Apple.

What they said

Research Analyst Arushi Chawla said:

“According to Counterpoint’s TWS Tracker, Germany saw sales of 1.3 million TWS units in Q3 2020 as the country started to recover from COVID-19 restrictions.”

Lots of great audio features including a Digital Crown

Senior analyst, Pavel Naiya said:

“Apple will retain its throne in the coming times with an even stronger user base. According to the survey, key buying factors for Apple TWS users were sound quality, brand name and appearance. Furthermore, the pre-existence of a massive market share of iPhone users in Germany holds an undeniable influence on the TWS brand preference. Somewhat similar is the case with Samsung, the brand at the second spot.”

What are the stats?

The following is a cherry-picked selection of statistics from the report:

• 1.3 million wireless stereo headphones sold
• Over 40% current users plan to purchase another this year.
• 71% will stick with their current brands.
• 18-22-month replacement cycle.
• Key features (in order): Sound quality, price, battery life, design& style, brand, comfort/fit, trend, portability, fast charging, Bluetooth range.
• For the full report, click here.

Counterpoint has said Apple’s share of this market segment will shrink slightly as the overall market grows, but still predicted 82 million sales in 2020.

Up next?

News of Apple’s conquest of Germany comes as speculation concerning Apple’s March season of new product launches mounts.

While most chatter focuses on iPads, iMacs, a new Apple Pencil and AirTags there has also been intermittent speculation the company may plan new AirPods. (Probably in plenty of time for some other inadequate UK politician to get themselves a set on their expenses claim.) Wind under speculation’s wings comes from Amazon’s continued discounts on some models. (Take a look at this affiliate link for current deals).

AirPods 3 – the next iteration in the classic range – are widely predicted to gain talents borrowed from the Pro range. This may include a new design with shorter stems, pressure-sensitive controls and better battery life. Both Bloomberg and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have made such claims.

[Also read: 15 ways to make AirPods the genius accessory you need]

“Apple will launch a Lite version of its Airpods Pro wireless earphones without noise canceling feature in the first half of 2021… A person familiar with the matter said the Lite version will be priced 20% cheaper than the normal Airpods Pro which has noise canceling tech.” TheElec

Apple is also expected to improve the SiP system inside these things, potentially with the introduction of a U1 processor or improved support for the Find My system we all expect to debut with AirTags in March. Apple has warned that its highest end AirPods Max are in short supply and will remain so for a while.

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