Apple leads TWS market as open-ear headphone segment grows

The global True-Wireless Stereo (TWS) market experienced its first decline in three years during the second quarter of 2026, with shipments falling 0.7 percent to 82.1 million units. This contraction was driven significantly by a 9.5 percent drop in the Chinese market.

Despite the overall decline in traditional TWS, the open-ear segment (Open Wearable Stereo or OWS) saw double-digit growth. OWS shipments rose by 12 percent to 11.1 million units, increasing its share of the total TWS market from 12.0 percent to 13.5 percent year-over-year.

Apple maintained its leadership position in the TWS market with a 20.5 percent market share, delivering 16.8 million units. Other major competitors include Xiaomi with a 10.4 percent share, Samsung at 6.7 percent, and Huawei at 6.2 percent. OPPO recorded the strongest growth among followers, with a 14.9 percent increase.