Bluetooth Moves Into Stereo Headsets

A recent study by Stat/MDR indicates solid, positive potential for Bluetooth stereo headphones/headsets for use with mobile phones.

To date, the emphasis has been on mono headsets used for mobile phones. This has been primarily driven by HandsFree regulations and the movement toward the safety and convenience of cordlessheadsets. The emerging headsets that are just about to begin making splashes in retail are stereo headphones for listening to music, as well as for receiving/making phone calls.

“However, this growth potential is tempered by the challenge of providing such a product for a low price,” said Joyce Putscher, director of In-Stat/MDR’s Converging Markets and Technologies Group. “Consumers also need to be aware that the true product differentiator in a Bluetooth version of cordless headphones is the advantage of using a worldwide standard that has the ability to multi-task and be usable with many devices that have embedded Bluetooth, such as making mobile phone calls and listening to MP3 music from a laptop or other source.”

In-Stat/MDR has also found that:

— Although supply for Bluetooth headsets in Europe essentially cannot keep up with demand, the U.S. market has been slow, due primarily to the availability of Bluetooth mobile phones, and lack of promotion by operators to emphasize the consumer benefits of Bluetooth headsets.

— In 2004, headset shipments have risen due to higher demand than expected in Europe. In 2005-2008 In-Stat/MDR expects a rise in Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone availability in the United States by operators that have not offered them to date, such as Verizon. In-Stat/MDR’s worldwide forecast for Bluetooth mono headsets in 2004 and through 2008 has been increased significantly.

— Products this year that have complied with Bluetooth 1.2, which includes the Adaptive Frequency Hopping (AFH) profile, are primarily headsets, PDAs, and other computing devices; only a few 1.2 mobile phones have been qualified so far.

— The Bluetooth chipset market will slightly more than double from 2003 to 2004, to 146 million units. This is directly following a year when the market almost doubled, from 2002 to 2003.