Apple aims for bigger TWS market share in India with AirPods 3 launch

AirPods 3: After the huge success of AirPods and AirPods Pro, the US-based tech giant Apple recently announced the launch of the third generation of AirPods (AirPods 3) with an aim to capture a larger True Wireless Stereo (TWS) market share in India. The AirPods 3 is priced at Rs 18,900 in the country.

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By combining the power of the H1 chip with an Apple-designed acoustic system, the new AirPods use computational audio to deliver breakthrough sound with Adaptive EQ. You can enjoy spatial audio featuring Dolby Atmos in Apple Music, movies, and tv shows, along with dynamic head tracking, across Apple devices.

The new AirPods are resistant to both sweat and water, with an IPX4 rating for both the earbuds and the charging case. The extended battery life enables up to six hours of listening time and up to 30 hours of total listening time with the convenient charging case. 

According to industry experts, the TWS industry holds immense potential to offer the value demanded by the Indian market. Also read: Apple iPhone 13 review: The best phone money can buy

Anshika Jain, Senior Analyst, Counterpoint Research - a global research firm specializing in mobile & technology products, told Zee Business: "We expect the TWS market will grow by 59 percent by shipment volume on an annual basis. Apple is estimated to gain share after the launch of their new TWS device ‘AirPods 3’ as this will appeal to consumers who are looking for an upgrade at a decent price point."

"We believe Apple’s huge brand loyalty along with strong marketing efforts like bundling offers and slashing the prices of earlier series such as AirPods (Gen 2) and AirPods Pro after the new launch will help to maintain the growth momentum in Q3 and Q4 2021," She further added.

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However, a senior technology analyst, Faisal Kawoosa, techarc Founder and Chief Analyst told Zee Business: "In India, the TWS market is primarily subbed Rs 5,000, almost 75-80 percent of it.  Hence, I don't think that Apple will capture a very large market share. So, I still see it to be niche player in the segment."

READ: Apple AirPods 3 with spatial audio, 30 hours total battery life launched at Rs 18,900 in India - Check availability and more

"But yes, then there are buyers in the market who are ready to pay for the experience and some of the existing TWS users could be exploring this product as their next purchase to up the experience. 'In the premium segment of TWS, I think it's Apple by default. Yes, indeed people do opt for Samsung also, but the primary preference is around Apple there. Apple has over 75 percent market share by volume for 1H 2021 in TWS above Rs 15,000," Kawoosa said.  (The data mentioned here is based on Techarc's India Connected Consumer Market Scan Dashboard)

Meanwhile, Apple registered a whopping 150 percent growth (on-quarter) for iPhones in the July-September period (Q3) in India, shipping over 1.53 million units in the country. iPads also logged a huge jump in growth, at 109 percent (on-quarter), and nearly 0.24 million units were shipped in the same period in the country, as per insights from market research firm CyberMedia Research (CMR).