Brandwave

Apple AirPods vs Sony:Which is searched more?

In September 2026, Apple AirPods had more branded searches than Sony among earphones brands worldwide. Apple AirPods had about 14.9 million branded searches, while Sony had 3.6 million. Apple AirPods made up 64.8% of all earphones brand searches we track, and Sony accounted for 15.6%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of searches among earphones brands worldwide in September 2026Is Apple AirPods or Sony more popular in search?
Apple AirPods64.8%14.9M searches
vs
Sony15.6%3.6M searches

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Is Apple AirPods or Sony more popular in search?

Compare the earphones brands people buy. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Apple AirPods and Sony among earphones brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Apple AirPods, Sony. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthApple AirPodsJBLSonySoundcoreSamsungAKGBoseMarshall
Oct 202570.3%14.3%12.5%1.9%0.47%0.38%0.1%0.06%
Nov 202568.8%16.1%12.4%1.8%0.44%0.36%0.1%0.05%
Dec 202568.2%16.6%12.6%1.8%0.36%0.36%0.1%0.05%
Jan 202663.6%17.7%15.7%2%0.48%0.48%0.11%0.06%
Feb 202663%16.4%16.6%2.6%0.77%0.52%0.11%0.08%
Mar 202665.8%15.4%15.2%2.3%0.69%0.46%0.1%0.07%
Apr 202658.7%22.2%15.4%2.4%0.58%0.48%0.11%0.06%
May 202659.4%20.3%16.1%3%0.59%0.49%0.11%0.07%
Jun 202660.3%19.9%15.7%2.9%0.58%0.48%0.13%0.07%
Jul 202659%19.5%17.9%2.3%0.69%0.46%0.1%0.07%
Aug 202659.8%19%17.3%2.6%0.64%0.43%0.11%0.09%
Sep 202664.8%16.1%15.6%2.4%0.48%0.39%0.13%0.09%

How has the Apple AirPods and Sony comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Apple AirPods was ahead of Sony in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple AirPods’ share of searches among earphones brands worldwide moved from 70.3% to 64.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 16.6M to 14.9M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sony’s share of searches among earphones brands worldwide moved from 12.5% to 15.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9M to 3.6M.

How did search popularity change for earphones brands worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Apple AirPods gained share of searches among earphones brands worldwide, from 59.8% to 64.8%.

  2. In September 2026, Sony lost share of searches among earphones brands worldwide, from 17.3% to 15.6%.

How are branded searches counted?

7 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Apple AirPods’ and Sony’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

Apple AirPods

4 branded search terms

  • airpods
  • airpods 4
  • airpods pro
  • airpods pro 3

Sony

3 branded search terms

  • sony
  • sony cyber shot
  • sony headphone

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among earphones brands

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