Smart Personal Audio Devices Market Grows 11.2% in 2024

Remarkable Growth in Smart Personal Audio Devices

The smart personal audio devices market has experienced a significant surge, achieving an impressive growth rate of 11.2% year-on-year in 2024. According to the latest estimates from Canalys, a part of Omdia, global shipments of these devices, which include True Wireless Stereo (TWS) headphones, wireless headphones, and wireless earphones, reached a staggering 455 million units.

Key Growth Regions and Market Dynamics

All product categories within the smart personal audio segment witnessed substantial increases in shipments. Notably, China and various emerging markets across the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa have emerged as key drivers of this growth.

“While leading brands have maintained stable market positions, their differentiation strategies are increasingly taking shape,” highlighted Canalys Research Analyst Jack Leathem. Major players such as Apple are reinforcing their competitive advantages through deep integration of hardware and software. Apple’s in-house chipset allows for seamless connectivity across devices while enhancing the user experience with features like spatial audio technology integrated with Apple Music, delivering a high-resolution audio experience.

Competitive Landscape: Leaders and Innovators

In the established audio segment, brands such as Sony, Bose, and Edifier collectively hold approximately 25% of the wireless headphone market. These companies focus on profitability by targeting high-end consumers with advanced audio codecs and Hi-Res certifications, ensuring they meet the expectations of discerning audio enthusiasts. Edifier’s recent collaboration with QQ Music to launch a service offering master-level audio quality exemplifies their commitment to high-quality audio experiences.

“Emerging brands are rapidly gaining traction through precise market positioning,” noted Leathem. New entrants like Shokz and Cleer Audio have effectively penetrated the sports and health segments with their innovative open-form designs. Furthermore, Oladance’s breakthrough partnership with AI Doubao has led to a notable surge in translation technology, which has been widely adopted by competitors, enhancing product expansion in international markets where cross-lingual communication is essential.

These emerging brands are also implementing differentiated pricing strategies to align with the purchasing power of local consumers while swiftly launching innovative, region-specific products. Regionally, Greater China has led the surge with a remarkable 22% growth rate, followed closely by Asia-Pacific at 19%, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) at 10%, and Latin America at 7%.

The Role of AI in Shaping the Future of Audio Devices

AI is playing a pivotal role in redefining the functionalities of smart personal audio devices, with nearly all manufacturers exploring new applications of artificial intelligence. Canalys Research Manager Cynthia Chen stated, “However, several critical challenges remain before these solutions achieve large-scale commercial application.” Current AI explorations in smart audio focus on three primary areas:

• Health monitoring: Leading brands have started integrating AI-driven hearing assessments and posture detection into their flagship products. These innovations utilize biosensors and algorithms to facilitate proactive health management.
• Adaptive audio technology: Multimodal sensor-based scene recognition is advancing dynamic audio adjustments, including intelligent noise reduction and adaptive spatial audio, enhancing the user experience even in challenging acoustic environments.
• Real-time translation: As these features extend into mid-range products, real-time translation is becoming increasingly common, prompting manufacturers to further explore the integration of AI within their smart audio devices.

For the effective application of AI, it is essential to base developments on a thorough analysis of user behavior data. The focus should shift towards addressing the core pain points of specific scenarios rather than merely adding features for the sake of innovation.

Future Outlook: Trends and Predictions

Canalys forecasts that global shipments of smart audio devices will surpass 500 million units by 2025, reflecting a cautiously optimistic outlook for the market. In the near term, the market is expected to witness active participation from various players while exhibiting three key trends:

• A surge in innovative products featuring novel functionalities and designs that cater to evolving consumer demands.
• Increased cross-brand collaborations aimed at building broader ecosystems that enhance user experiences.
• A market shift from merely adding isolated functions to improving the overall user experience, ensuring that devices are intuitive and user-friendly.

Over the long run, manufacturers will need to develop comprehensive competitive strategies that encompass technology development, including acoustic components, chips, algorithms, and more. Establishing ecosystem partnerships that align with their business models and targeting specific application scenarios will be crucial. Converting AI-driven technological advantages into tangible user benefits will play a pivotal role in shaping the future market landscape.

Global Shipment Statistics

As the smart personal audio devices market continues to evolve, understanding these trends and dynamics will be essential for stakeholders looking to succeed in this competitive landscape.

Source Article: https://telecomreseller.com/2025/03/06/global-smart-personal-audio-devices-market-achieved-a-remarkable-growth-of-11-2-in-2024/