Health Concerns Propelled Shipments of Hearables in Q2, Says IDC

Health concerns due to COVID-19 advanced the market for wearables by 14% in Q2 on strong demand for hearables, reported IDC Monday. Hearables grew 32.6% year on year, and were 60% of all wearables. Apple shipped 29.4 million wearables in Q2 -- including 23.7 million Airpods and Beats products -- some 25% higher year on year, led by AirPods. Samsung had wearables growth of under a point to 7.1 million. Hearables were dominated by smartphone brands that have bundling opportunities; traditional headphone makers including Sony, Bose and Jabra focus on the lower-volume premium end of the market. Fitbit's shipments plunged in Q2 by 29% to 2.5 million. Ear-worn wearables continue to be popular as people work and learn from home, enabling privacy while remaining connected with devices and services.