Smart speaker market to reach 56.3 mln shipments this year - study

The global smart speaker market is expected to reach 56.3 million shipments this year, according to the latest study from Canalys, which attributes the growth to accelerated adoption in the consumer market. Amazon and Google are expected to remain in the lead with their Echo and Home products respectively, but will face increased competition as new vendors enter the race. The US will remain the single most important market, with shipments seen hitting 38.4 million units next year. China will trail at 4.4 million units. 

The US has the majority share of the worldwide smart speaker market and will remain the largest market through 2020, boosted by high broadband penetration, a proclivity to adopt new technologies and the lowering price barriers of smart speakers. 

The market in China will remain muted under the dominance of Amazon and Google, though Alibaba, JD.com and Xiaomi have already launched smart speakers to test the waters. Still, Canalys expects the market to experience a huge boost this year as hardware vendors, software developers, voice recognition providers and operators join the game, capitalizing on the growing consumer awareness of smart home and artificial intelligence.