open-ear earbuds – Apple and Beats held nearly a third of global wireless earbuds shipments in Q1 2026, but the market’s fastest growth is coming from open-ear designs. Smart Analytics Global projects that open-hook and open-clip categories will keep expanding through at least 2
For the January-through-March quarter of 2026. Apple didn’t just stay on top of the global wireless earbuds market—it effectively controlled the shape of it. AirPods helped Apple retain the top position. while Beats joined in close enough to matter: together. it and Beats accounted for nearly a third of all shipments.
Smart Analytics Global estimated Apple captured 23% of the global true wireless stereo (TWS) market during the quarter. Xiaomi ranked second with an 11% market share, and Beats placed third at 8%.
The numbers weren’t small. Global TWS shipments rose 4% year over year during the quarter, and wholesale revenue climbed 8%. Apple also led by revenue, taking 44% of global TWS revenue over the same period, a result tied to the premium pricing of AirPods.
In the traditional TWS category, Apple remained the leading vendor, ahead of Xiaomi, Beats, Huawei, and Boat. The firm also forecasts Apple will remain the leading global TWS vendor through 2027.
But the momentum in the market isn’t only sitting with the incumbents. Open-ear earbuds delivered the fastest growth during the quarter, and that shift is changing how the broader market is trending.
Open-hook shipments increased 48% year over year, while open-clip devices grew 87%. Traditional TWS products moved the other way, declining 1%. The swing helps explain why overall market activity continued to grow even as the biggest category contracted.
Open-ear products still represent a minority of shipments, but they are expanding far faster than conventional earbuds. Shokz led the open-hook category with a 25% market share during the quarter, while Huawei topped open-clip earbuds with a 22% share. Apple wasn’t listed among the leading brands in either of the two fastest-growing open-ear categories.
Beats sits closer to the conversation than it may appear at first glance. Beats has a product that resembles the open-ear category: Powerbeats Pro 2 uses an earhook for a more secure fit. Still, it remains a traditional in-ear design with silicone tips, active noise cancellation, and transparency mode.
Smart Analytics Global expects the trend to continue through at least 2027. It forecasts open-hook shipments will grow 34% in 2026, while open-clip shipments will increase 72%. Shokz is again placed at the front of the open-hook category with a 25% market share during the quarter.
The forecast is also blunt about what happens to the older format. Traditional TWS products are expected to decline 2% in 2026.
Smart Analytics Global said the growth in open-ear categories is being driven by consumer interest in ear-friendly designs and all-day comfort. These open-ear designs leave the ear canal unobstructed and allow users to hear surrounding sounds while listening to audio.
Even with the open-ear surge, traditional earbuds are still expected to account for more than 80% of global TWS shipments through 2027. That’s part of the reason Apple’s lead looks resilient: even competitors gaining traction in newer categories may still be fighting over a smaller slice of the pie.
By the time 2026 ends, Smart Analytics Global forecasts total TWS shipments will reach 344 million units, up 3% from 2025. The market is expected to grow another 2% in 2027 to 349 million units—growth that. increasingly. won’t be driven by one familiar shape of earbuds alone. but by the products that keep the ear canal open as consumers look for comfort and awareness in daily listening.
wireless earbuds Apple AirPods Beats true wireless stereo TWS market open-ear earbuds open-hook open-clip Smart Analytics Global Shokz Huawei Xiaomi
So basically AirPods are still winning. Open-ear is just a trend? I feel like they’ll get bored.
Open-ear earbuds sound like the worst idea lol. Like why would you want people to hear your music? But apparently they’re growing so what do I know.
Wait I thought open-ear means like bone conduction? My friend has Shokz and they always talk about how it’s safer for walking. But the article says Apple controlled the shape of the market, so does that mean Apple invented open-ear or something?
Apple 44% of revenue… okay but that’s probably because they make you pay extra for everything. Beats being #2-ish makes sense though. I’m not buying earbuds that don’t fully block sound, I don’t trust that. Also “open-clip”?? sounds like clip-on earrings for your ears, not headphones.