AirPods was released in September 2016. As of 2017, it has shipped about 14 million units and reached 35 million units in 2018, a growth rate of 150%, accounting for about 76% of global TWS headset shipments.
According to latest data from Counterpoint, in the first three quarters of 2019, global sales of TWS headset products have reached 77.5 million units, and AirPods' share of global shipments has fallen to 45%.
AirPods have been well received, but the price is too high for general users, so Huaqiangbei Shanzhai AirPods have been widely welcomed in China.
A China review website 52audio released a review of 10 Huaqiangbei Shanzhai AirPods Tuesday, allowing us to see a part of this market.
(Photo: 52audio)
What is the market for Huaqiangbei AirPods?
The decline in the proportion of AirPods in the industry is partly due to the limited production capacity of supply chain manufacturers, and Apple itself has recognized this: On November 27, Apple requested Lixun Precision to double the production capacity of AirPods Pro to 2 million units At the same time, it also requested to expand the production of low-cost AirPods at the Luxon plant in Vietnam.
The other reason is competition from other major brands. In the third quarter of 2019, Xiaomi and Samsung's market share increased linearly, ranking second and third in the market. Especially Xiaomi, its cheapest TWS headset has dropped to less than 200 yuan, using a low-cost strategy to quickly grab a large amount of market share.
However, the shipments of these brand manufacturers may be just the "tip of the iceberg" in the current TWS headset market.
A general manager of a technology company in Shenzhen said, "We think that there are about 300 million chips in the entire TWS headset market this year. It is the large number of white-brand TWS headset shipments that have further boosted the market's popularity."
This huge white brand TWS headset is Huaqiangbei Shanzhai AirPods.
52audio purchased a total of ten Shanzhai AirPods TWS headset products in Huaqiangbei Commercial Street, which cost 795 yuan. The following is the main content of their evaluation.
Unpacking and comparison
The Bluetooth connection test model of the following headset products is the National Bank iPhone 11 Pro Max, and the system version is iOS13.2.3.
1, i7S TWS, price: 15 yuan.
(Photo: 52audio)
The actual i7S is like a soap box, with a large volume, it feels cheap in your hand. There is a power indicator button on the front of the power box and a Micro-USB charging interface on the back.
The i7S's single ear weighs 3.7 grams, the charging case weighs 27.5 grams, and the total weight is 34.9 grams (instruction information: the headset has a built-in 55mAh lithium battery, and the charging case battery capacity is 600mAh).
The comparison between i7S and National Bank AirPods 2, the difference between the bottom and top of the food chain.
The left ear of this i7S could not be paired with the phone, and the right ear was completely broken.
2. K9-mini TWS, price: 20 yuan.
(Photo: 52audio)
The design of the K9-mini has begun to move closer to AirPods. The cover of the power box is transparent. Apple may consider launching a fully transparent AirPods exploration version to pay tribute. There is a battery reminder button on the back of the headset, and the bottom is a Micro-USB charging interface.
K9-mini single ear weighs 3.4 grams, the charging case weighs 24.6 grams, and the total weight is 31.6 grams (instruction information: the headset has a built-in 50mAh lithium battery, and the charging case battery capacity is 350mAh).
The comparison between K9-mini and National Bank AirPods 2 started.
Although the model and appearance of the K9-mini are quite different from the i7S, the styles of the manuals of the two are the same, which should be from the same manufacturer.
Although binaural connections often fail to pair, the important thing is that it finally works.
3, i11 TWS, price: 30 yuan.
(Photo: 52audio)
The power box of the i11 has no other openings except for the Micro-USB interface at the bottom. The overall looks like the oldest mold of AirPods.
The i11 weighs 3.8 grams per ear and has a total weight of 28.9 grams (instruction information: the headset has a built-in 45mAh lithium battery, and the battery capacity of the charging box is not marked).
Compared with the National Bank AirPods 2, i11 has a larger cavity.
The improvement of the i11 experience is obvious. Firstly, Bluetooth 5.0 makes pairing faster, but it still needs to be turned on manually to connect; secondly, it adds the function of voice prompts for phone numbers.
4, inPods 12, price: 50 yuan.
(Photo: 52audio)
The shape design of inPods 12 is closer to AirPods 2. This one has a variety of colors to choose from, and the earphones and charging box are matte. Many people once wanted to modify AirPods into this.
What is more unexpected is that this headset uses the Apple Lightning interface, and the included lightning charging cable can charge the iPhone 11. Pro with iOS 13.2.3 system.
inPods 12 with a single ear weighing 3.3 grams and a total weight of 31.1 grams (instruction information: the headset has a built-in 30mAh lithium battery, and the charging case battery is 300 mAh).
Comparison between inPods 12 and National Bank AirPods 2, AirPods 5C?
inPods 12 will play automatically when connected to iPhone, and the headset will flash red and blue when pairing and connecting.
5, i9S-TWS, price: 50 yuan.
(Photo: 52audio)
The power box of the i9S is magnetically designed, and compared with the previous ones, it pays more attention to internals. Although it is also a lightning interface, the included lightning interface charging cable cannot charge the iPhone 13. Pro with iOS 13.2.3. To compensate, the manufacturer also sent a very thin protective case and keychain as compensation.
The i9S has a single ear of 3.4 grams and a total weight of 32 grams (instructions: the headset has a built-in 50mAh lithium battery, and the battery capacity of the charging box is not marked).
The comparison between i9S and AirPods 2 is similar in headphone size.
6, i12 TWS, price: 65 yuan.
(Photo: 52audio)
Compared with the i9S's focus on the design of the charging box, the i12 pays more attention to the detailed design of the Copy headset. The sensor has an “opening” on the outside of the headset, but the red and blue lights inside the headset instantly break power. The included lightning interface charging cable can charge the iPhone 11 Pro with iOS 13.2.3.
The i12 has a single ear weight of 3 grams and a total weight of 29.6 grams (instructions: the headset has a built-in 25mAh lithium battery, and the battery capacity of the charging box is 350mAh).
7, R300, price: 75 yuan.
(Photo: 52audio)
The R300 innovatively uses a flip-type charging case design, and maybe Apple's next-generation AirPods can learn from it. In addition, the R300 also uses a very advanced Type-C charging interface, so that Android users do not need to bring an extra data cable.
The R300's single ear weighs 3.4 grams and the total weight is 32 grams (instruction information: the headset has a built-in 35mAh lithium battery, and the battery capacity of the charging case is 500mAh).
The reason for buying the R300 is that this clamshell design is very interesting. The Type-C interface is even more pleasantly surprised. The only drawback in appearance is that the charging interface is a bit abrupt. If you optimize the internal structure later, it will be a good TWS headset appearance solution .
8, KD10 V8, price: 110 yuan.
(Photo: 52audio)
Yes, KD10 V8, this is a model of a headset. From this product, you do n’t need to remove the headset first to pair and connect with your phone. The manufacturer has thoughtfully designed four battery indicators on the headset case.
KD10 V8 has a single ear weight of 3.3 grams and a total weight of 34.4 grams (there is no detailed battery capacity information in the manual).
During repeated testing, the KD10 V8 broke down without warning and could not be charged or used.
9, AirPods 2 Rhoda 1536 top version, the price: 150 yuan.
(Photo: 52audio)
AirPods 2 Rhoda 1536 solution is currently the mainstream Shanzhai AirPods solution on the market. It is also the most popular in Alibaba, Salted Fish or Huaqiangbei shopping malls.
However, due to the large market demand, even if it is the same Rhoda solution, the price and imitation of this Shanzhai AirPods product are very different. The weight of one ear is 3.1 grams (1 gram lighter than the National Bank), and the total weight is 46.2 grams.
10. AirPods Pro Hengxuan plan version, price: 230 yuan
(Photo: 52audio)
At present, the AirPods Pro Hengxuan solution version is not as mature as Shanzhai AirPods 2 in appearance, such as the battery indicator on the charging case, the crispness of the buttons on the back, and the sensor openings on the headset are difficult to compare with the genuine ones.
The weight of one ear is 3.3 grams, and the total weight is 47.6 grams. After 52audio disassembly, it was found that this Shanzhai AirPods Pro charging box also contains a 15.9 g weight block, even so its total weight is still a long way from the National Bank of 56.1 g.
After a few days of use, with the exception of the last two high-priced Shanzhai AirPods, other products either failed to use a headset, or could not be connected after repeated use, especially the 110 yuan that broke down without much use.
Through these 10 Shanzhai AirPods products, we can roughly understand the characteristics of the current Shanzhai AirPods products in the market of Huaqiangbei.
As long as it is a Shanzhai product, the speed of pairing and connection with the mobile phone is not as good as the genuine one, and the cheaper the connection, the worse the stability, the worse the usability, and the abnormal power consumption of a single earphone sometimes occurs.
In the exchanges with many merchants, 52audio learned that the current price of Shanzhai AirPods on the market is mostly Jerry's solution, and the top-selling AirPods 2 with better sales is mostly the Rhoda solution. Prices vary widely, and Shanzhai AirPods Pro solutions include Jerry and Hengxuan. Qualcomm solutions are not common.
And merchants also revealed that because of the high cost of Shanzhai AirPods Pro, no actual noise reduction function, requirements for mobile phone system versions, and recent strict market supervision, Shanzhai Airpods Pro is not easy to sell in stores.
From 15 yuan to 230 yuan, these 10 types of Shanzhai headphones are the epitome of the development of Huaqiangbei AirPods. Although it has achieved the "requirement" of some people, the upgrade iteration speed is very fast. But once you have used genuine AirPods, Shanzhai AirPods can feel "full of holes" as soon as you get started.
Therefore, 52audio recommends against buying Shanzhai AirPods.
