Apple keeps the top spot in the global true wireless earbuds (TWS) market by shipments in the second quarter this year. As the overall market slips slightly, Apple increases shipments, while open-type products that do not block the ear post a double-digit growth rate.

On Sept. 17, local time, IT outlet 9to5Mac reports that research firm Omdia puts global TWS shipments in the second quarter at 82.1 million units, down 0.7 percent from a year earlier. A 9.5 percent drop in shipments in China weighs on the broader market downturn.

Apple ships 16.8 million units, up 1.2 percent from the same period last year, keeping the lead with a 20.5 percent market share. Xiaomi ranks second with 10.4 percent, and Samsung Electronics takes third with 6.7 percent. Huawei with 6.2 percent and Oppo with 5.0 percent follow. Among the top five vendors, only Apple and Oppo post shipment increases. Oppo's shipments, including OnePlus, rise 14.9 percent.

Unlike the overall market, shipments of open-ear wireless earbuds (OWS) rise 12 percent to 11.1 million units. Their share of the overall TWS market also increases to 13.5 percent from 12.0 percent a year earlier. Omdia classifies clip-type and ear-hook types that do not block the ear canal as OWS. Clip-type accounts for 61 percent of OWS shipments, and ear-hook types 39 percent.

In the OWS market, Shokz ranks first with 1.1 million units and a 10.3 percent share. Shipments rise 107.9 percent from a year earlier. Sanag with 7.6 percent, Huawei with 7.0 percent, Baseus with 6.6 percent and Edifier with 5.4 percent follow.

Apple unveils AirPods 5 on Sept. 9, highlighting an open-ear fit. The product is announced after the second-quarter tally, and regular AirPods also appear to be excluded from Omdia's OWS classification. Omdia expects competition to add AI functions to wearing comfort and sound quality to become a main trend in the wireless earbuds market.