What are the opportunities behind TWS's breakthrough in wireless headset market?

Working principle of TWS headset

TWS is the abbreviation of true wireless stereo, which means real wireless stereo.

The working principle of TWS headset is different from that of traditional Bluetooth headset with cable. The working principle of Bluetooth headset is based on the underlying wireless signal module, protocol layer and application layer. The two headphone units are connected to the same Bluetooth module through the cable between the left and right speakers. The signal from the mobile phone is transmitted to the Bluetooth module, and the audio signal is directly output through the application layer to make the left and right speakers sound. The whole transmission is only one of Bluetooth and Bluetooth headset Signal transmission between.

However, TWS headphones are different in design. The biggest feature is that they get rid of the traditional physical wires. At present, there are two mainstream ways: the first is to divide the main headset and the vice headset. First, turn on the Bluetooth function in the mobile phone. The Bluetooth of the mobile phone will connect the main headset (generally the right ear), and then transmit the signal from the main headset to the secondary headset to form a stereo system. The typical representative is apple, which adopts the monitoring mode. The main headset does not need to send signals to the secondary headphones, but shares the key to the secondary headphones to let them "eavesdrop". Through this rule, the signal acquisition of the primary and secondary headphones is realized, and the problems such as unbalanced power consumption of the main and auxiliary ears, interference of signal forwarding, signal delay and so on are solved.

The second way is more common in the Android camp. For example, the Bluetooth 5.0-based dual headset direct connection scheme, represented by Qualcomm, does not distinguish between the primary and secondary headphones. The left and right headphones operate independently, and the mobile phone can be connected to which one is connected. However, this mode requires the system software to transmit the left and right channels separately, and needs to double the bandwidth, accurately synchronize, customize the device and headset protocol, and the compatibility and effect still need to be strengthened.

What is the reason why TWS headphones are so popular

Since Apple launched its first TWS headset airpods in 2016, the wave of wireless Bluetooth headsets is surging. According to the statistics of Zhiyan consulting, from 2017 to 2018, the global TWS earphone market size increased from US $2 billion to US $5.376 billion, and the global TWS headset shipment increased from 20 million to 65 million. It is estimated that the global TWS earphone market size will exceed 11 billion US dollars in 2020, and the shipping volume will also reach 150 million units. In addition, industry insiders predict that in the next five years, TWS headphones will exceed 1 billion units, becoming the "number one player" in the future headphone market.

What are the opportunities behind the 100 billion TWS headset market?

(2016-2020 global TWS headset market size, data from Zhiyan consulting)

In the TWS Bluetooth headset shipment ranking by strategy analytics in 2019, apple occupies the absolute main force. Xiaomi, Samsung, Huawei and other mobile phone manufacturers are all on the list, and they forcibly take a large market share from old smart hardware players such as Sony and Amazon.

What are the opportunities behind the 100 billion TWS headset market?

(TWS Bluetooth headset shipment ranking in 2019, data from strategy Analytics)

Why are TWS earphones so popular? It is mainly because of its excellent product experience and application scenarios:

1. As one of the common accessories of mobile phones, earphone itself has a huge market. The appearance of TWS earphone breaks the bondage of traditional wired headset sensory experience, and it is more fashionable and avant-garde in appearance, attracting people's attention;

2. The real wireless structure completely abandons the worry of cable and moves more freely. Especially for the sports talents, they can enjoy the pleasure of listening to songs while exercising;

3. Small size, comfortable to wear, easy to use, easy to carry, suitable for a wide range of scenes, such as driving environment, both hands can be liberated, but also do not have to worry about cable problems.

Of course, the market behind TWS earphones is far more than that. Take the materials of earphones and earphone charging boxes as an example, there are also huge opportunities behind them. With its deep accumulation in electronic consumption, CPC can provide suitable high-performance material solutions for TWS earphone manufacturers, and provide complete chain services, so as to enhance the market competitiveness of earphones.