Federica Laricchia
Research expert covering the global consumer technology industry
Get in touch with us nowGlobal sales of headphones/headsets 2013-2017
This statistic shows the global unit sales of headphones/headsets from 2013 to 2017. In 2017, 368 million headphones & headsets are forecast to be sold worldwide.
Headphones and headsets – additional information
Consumer electronics (CE) is a vast and profitable industry which is constantly evolving, as companies introduce new products and technologies to the market. Smart TV, streaming media players, wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers, are part of the audio and video product segment within this industry.
Headsets, which include a speaker and a microphone, are commonly used during any digital communication that requires both speaking and listening. Headphones only have a speaker; therefore they are mainly used for listening to audio. Using headphones on a portable device is the second most popular way of listening to music in the U.S., as just over 40 percent of Americans use these devices for this purpose. Headphones and headsets are usually divided into the categories over-ear, on-ear and in-ear, depending on size and form, and can also include features such as noise-cancelling. Sony, Phillips, Apple, Sennheiser, Bose and Skullcandy are some of the leading headphone and headset brands in the headphone/headset market.
The number of headphones/headsets sold worldwide has increased from 236 million in 2013 to an estimate of 334 million in 2016. Bluetooth headsets are the most popular wearable device worldwide, and are forecast to maintain this leading position in the coming years. Shipments of Bluetooth headsets worldwide are projected to increase from about 116 million units in 2015 to nearly 140 million units by 2017. In comparison, shipments of smartwatches, the second most popular wearable device, is expected to total 66.71 million units by 2017.
Headphones and headsets – additional information
Consumer electronics (CE) is a vast and profitable industry which is constantly evolving, as companies introduce new products and technologies to the market. Smart TV, streaming media players, wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers, are part of the audio and video product segment within this industry.
Headsets, which include a speaker and a microphone, are commonly used during any digital communication that requires both speaking and listening. Headphones only have a speaker; therefore they are mainly used for listening to audio. Using headphones on a portable device is the second most popular way of listening to music in the U.S., as just over 40 percent of Americans use these devices for this purpose. Headphones and headsets are usually divided into the categories over-ear, on-ear and in-ear, depending on size and form, and can also include features such as noise-cancelling. Sony, Phillips, Apple, Sennheiser, Bose and Skullcandy are some of the leading headphone and headset brands in the headphone/headset market.
The number of headphones/headsets sold worldwide has increased from 236 million in 2013 to an estimate of 334 million in 2016. Bluetooth headsets are the most popular wearable device worldwide, and are forecast to maintain this leading position in the coming years. Shipments of Bluetooth headsets worldwide are projected to increase from about 116 million units in 2015 to nearly 140 million units by 2017. In comparison, shipments of smartwatches, the second most popular wearable device, is expected to total 66.71 million units by 2017.
