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A scene from an interpretation contest, where human interpreters faced off against AI-powered translation machines, in Shenzhen in June. Photos from WeChat account "深圳发布"
In a high-profile interpretation competition held in Shenzhen this June, Timekettle’s W4 Pro AI real-time translation earbuds outperformed professional human interpreters by over 1,000 points, marking a significant milestone for AI translation technology.
The W4 Pro supports bidirectional translation across 40 languages with a latency of just 3 to 5 seconds—nearly half the delay of comparable devices. This performance highlights the rapid advancement of Shenzhen’s smart audio industry.
Shenzhen Leads China’s AI Earbud Innovation
According to a report by Southern Finance Omnimedia, Shenzhen has emerged as a key hub for smart earphone development, home to established audio brands like Grandsun, Edifier, Creative All, and 1MORE, as well as tech innovators such as Huawei and Timekettle.
The city is accelerating its push in the global AI wearable market. A government action plan released this year forecasts that Shenzhen’s AI product sector will surpass 800 billion yuan (US$112 billion) by 2026, spanning smart glasses, watches, AR/VR devices, and AI-powered earbuds.
Timekettle’s Global Expansion
Timekettle’s W4 Pro AI earbuds. File photo
Timekettle’s AI earbuds integrate real-time translation, voice assistants, health monitoring, and fitness tracking, positioning them as the next-generation personal device following smartphones and smartwatches.
The company holds over 30% of the North American AI earbud market, with annual export volume growing by more than 80%. It has served over 300,000 users across more than 200 countries.
Innovation in Form and Function
Cleer Arc 3 is Grandsun's latest wireless open-ear earbuds.
Grandsun launched the Cleer Clip Arc—the world’s first open-ear AI headphones—this year. By reducing weight from 240 grams to just 40 grams, the design redefines comfort and portability for over-ear audio devices.
Shokz, another Shenzhen-based leader, captured 70% of global bone-conduction headphone shipments in 2021. Its open-ear and sports models dominate international sales, holding a 40% share of the North American sports headset market.
Edifier exports its products to over 80 countries and regions, including major markets in Europe such as Germany, the U.K., and France.
Rapid Product Cycles and Strong Supply Chain
He Tao, Timekettle’s China PR director, noted that the AI translation earbud sector sees three to five new product launches every one to two months.
“Shenzhen has a mature and efficient supply chain,” He explained. “A product prototype that might take a month elsewhere can be developed here in as little as three to seven days.”
Market Growth and Global Outlook
An aerial view of Shenzhen.
Data from RUNTO Technology shows that Chinese e-commerce platforms sold 315,000 AI-enabled headsets in 2024—a year-on-year increase of 405%, making it the fastest-growing segment in the headphone market.
Global technology analyst firm Canalys projects that AI earbud shipments will grow at a double-digit rate in 2025, exceeding 100 million units worldwide.
Editor/Li Jing
WeChat Editors/Cynthia, Yunfei