Brandwave

How popular isApple AirPods?

In September 2026, people searched for Apple AirPods by name about 83,800 times in New Zealand, a 13.5% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 55.3% of all New Zealand ear buds brand searches, placing Apple AirPods first out of four brands. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about ear buds brands, Apple AirPods appeared in all answers and was the second most recommended of the four.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Apple AirPods is the most searched of 4 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Apple AirPodsShare of searches 55.3%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. JBLShare of searches 26%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  3. SonyShare of searches 11.3%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  4. BoseShare of searches 7.4%Mentioned in 2 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
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Top ear buds brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Apple AirPods appeared in all four answers. Apple AirPods is the second most recommended of the four.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Sony1st
  2. Apple AirPods2nd
  3. JBL3rd
  4. Bose4th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Apple AirPods4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Sony4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • JBL3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Bose2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about ear buds brands

4 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which ear buds brand should I buy in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Sony
    2. 2Apple AirPods
    3. 3JBL

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best ear buds brands in New Zealand?”

    1. 1Sony
    2. 2Bose
    3. 3JBL
    4. 4Apple AirPods

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best ear buds brand in New Zealand for everyday listening?”

    1. 1Sony
    2. 2JBL
    3. 3Apple AirPods

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “best earbuds”

    1. 1Sony
    2. 2Apple AirPods
    3. 3Bose

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “wireless earbuds”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

Which ear buds brands compete with Apple AirPods?

Apple AirPods against ear buds brands in New Zealand, by month

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

View monthly share of searches table
MonthApple AirPodsJBLSonyBose
Oct 202555.6%24%11.5%9%
Nov 202554.3%25.4%11.4%8.9%
Dec 202548.6%33.4%9.8%8.2%
Jan 202652.6%27.7%11.5%8.2%
Feb 202658.3%23.1%11.3%7.2%
Mar 202658.5%22.3%11.6%7.6%
Apr 202653.9%26.7%11.5%7.8%
May 202656.6%24%11.4%8.1%
Jun 202656.6%24%11%8.3%
Jul 202655.9%24.5%11.6%8%
Aug 202657.6%24.5%9.8%8.1%
Sep 202655.3%26%11.3%7.4%

  1. 1.Apple AirPods

    55.3%

    Held 1st. 83.7K estimated branded searches, -0.92% vs prior month. Share -2.3 points.

  2. 2.JBL

    26%

    Held 2nd. 39.3K estimated branded searches, +9.5% vs prior month. Share +1.5 points.

  3. 3.Sony

    11.3%

    Held 3rd. 17.1K estimated branded searches, +18.8% vs prior month. Share +1.5 points.

  4. 4.Bose

    7.4%

    Held 4th. 11.2K estimated branded searches, -5.3% vs prior month. Share -0.7 points.

Compare popularity between Apple AirPods and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Apple AirPods

10 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Apple AirPods changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Apple AirPods in New Zealand rose from 73.9K to 83.8K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple AirPods’ share of searches among ear buds brands in New Zealand peaked at 58.5% in March 2026 and was lowest at 48.6% in December 2025.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand ear buds brands in September 2026?

4 changes

  1. In September 2026, JBL gained share of searches among ear buds brands in New Zealand, from 24.5% to 26%.

  2. In September 2026, Sony gained share of searches among ear buds brands in New Zealand, from 9.8% to 11.3%.

  3. In September 2026, Apple AirPods lost share of searches among ear buds brands in New Zealand, from 57.6% to 55.3%.

  4. In September 2026, Bose lost share of searches among ear buds brands in New Zealand, from 8.1% to 7.4%.

How are Apple AirPods’ branded searches counted?

15 search terms

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

  • airpods
  • airpods 2
  • airpods 3
  • airpods 3 pro
  • airpods 4
  • airpods earbuds
  • airpods earphones
  • airpods headphones
  • airpods max
  • airpods pro
  • apple airpods
  • apple airpods 4
  • apple airpods max
  • apple airpods pro
  • find mine airpods

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Do you work for Apple AirPods? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

Where does Apple AirPods compete?

Apple AirPods is ranked in five competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Headphone brands1st of 1043.8%Show ranking
Bluetooth headphones brands1st of 851.4%Show ranking
Bluetooth earbuds brands1st of 654.8%Show ranking
Earphones brands1st of 655.1%Show ranking
Ear buds brands1st of 455.3%Shown above
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Is Apple AirPods your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

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