Bluetooth device shipments in 2025 to grow 60% over 2020
Working from home, telemedicine, LE audio, smart lighting, and more
Bluetooth Peripheral Device Market to Drive Overall Market Growth


The Bluetooth SIG projects that annual shipments of Bluetooth devices will increase 60%, driven by growth in the peripheral market, including earbuds, wearables, sensors, and smart lighting.

Bluetooth SIG announced this on the 15th while holding an online press conference and releasing the 2021 Bluetooth Market Trends Report. Founded in 1998, Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) is a non-profit organization that manages and oversees Bluetooth® technology standards, supporting more than 36,000 member companies.

Citing research from ABI Research, the report said that while Bluetooth device shipments in 2020 (4 billion units) were similar to 2019 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, some markets, including wearables and location systems, saw significant growth. Additionally, it is projected that by 2025, annual shipments of total Bluetooth devices will exceed 6.4 billion units.

The Bluetooth SIG cited the following as reasons: △ expansion of remote work and remote medical care, △ completion of the LE Audio standard, and △ activation of connected lighting.

First, as more companies adopt remote work due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, shipments of Bluetooth PC accessories in 2020 reached 153 million units, exceeding 10% of the forecast. With increasing interest in health, shipments of Bluetooth wearables in 2021 are expected to reach 205 million units, up 5% from 2020.

Shipments of data transmission devices are also expected to increase 1.7 times in 2025 compared to 2020. Bluetooth location service-based medical services are expected to increase fivefold by 2025. Bluetooth real-time location system (RTLS) for safe return home is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 32%, with more than 516,000 units installed by 2025.

The Bluetooth SIG expects that the completion of the LE Audio standard this year will increase demand for Bluetooth earbuds and speakers, leading to a 1.5-fold increase in annual shipments from 2021 to 2025.

Additionally, Bluetooth® Audio Sharing is poised to become the newest, high-quality, low-cost assistive listening system (ALS), providing greater accessibility and seamless interoperability to the estimated 500 million hearing-impaired people worldwide.

Bluetooth device networks, which focus on supporting building automation, control, and operational efficiency, have largely recovered during the pandemic.

With the proliferation of LEDs, increased energy efficiency, rapid deployment capabilities and superior user experience are driving demand, particularly for commercial connected lighting solutions. Commercial connected lighting is expected to be the fastest-growing Bluetooth solution segment, growing at a CAGR of 35% over the next five years, alongside smart home solutions.