But he also expects Apple to work on holding its market lead by adding new functionality …
As is generally the case with Apple tech, the Cupertino company wasn’t the first on the market with true wireless in-ear headphones. Bragi was first, with the Bragi Dash earbuds I reviewed back in 2016.
But it was Apple who turned the form-factor into a mass-market product, with a delightfully simple pairing process, great microphone performance, excellent battery-life and a quirky look that quickly became fashionable.
Apple also stimulated the market, so there’s now a wide range of AirPods alternatives to choose from at both higher and lower price-points – including blatant clones. These range from cheap-and-cheerful products in the $40-50 range, through mid-range products in the same price-band as AirPods to higher-end models from audio companies like Bang & Olufsen, Bose and Master & Dynamic (review).
Kuo does expect Apple to respond to increased competition by adding features. In a Sunday report, Kuo said to expect AirPods with wireless charging in the first quarter of 2019, with an all-new design model in 2020.
We’ve already heard reports of support for Hey Siri, along with water-resistance, and a patent yesterday suggested interchangeable AirPods – but the analyst also believes we can expect health sensors.
Kuo repeats his forecast that AirPods shipments will increase from 26-28M this year to 50-55M next year, breaking 100M by 2021.
The ear is a perfect sensing area for detecting various health data. It may integrate with the Apple Watch to offer better health management in the future.
AirPods photo: Shutterstock
