PC: Reuters
With close to 9 million units shipped worldwide in the first quarter of 2018, smart speakers have registered a significant of 210% growth over the same period last year, reports tech market analyst firm Canalys .
Google is leading the race with 3.2 million units of Google Home and Home Mini devices shipped, against the 2.5 million units of Echo devices by Amazon. The report also says that Google registered an overall growth of 483%, while Amazon just grew by 8% year-on-year, during the period.
Since the launch of smart speakers in 2014, it is the first time that US market had a share below 50%. The reason being Google and Amazon's focus on expanding beyond their home markets and also due to increased traction and new vendors coming in from markets such as China and South Korea. Alibaba, which wasn't even a listed unit last year, finished third in overall rankings and was on the top spot in China with 1.1 million Tmall Genie speaker shipments in Q1 2018. Vendors shipped 4.1 million units of smart speakers into the channel in the first quarter of 2018 in the US, 1.8 million in China, and Korea overtook the UK to become the third largest market with 730,000 shipments.
Smart speakers are one of the fastest growing consumer categories across the world. Both Amazon and Google are getting aggressive in the Indian market as well. After working on the Alexa to understand Indian accent, phrases and commonly used words for over a year and a half, Amazon launched its Echo range of smart speakers in India in October 2017 and has expanded the offering with the Echo Spot.
Google, on the other hand, introduced the Google Home and Mini smart speakers in India just a month ago with aggressive offers from Reliance Jio and ACT Fiber and also plans to introduce Hindi language support by the end of this year.
"Google has several advantages over Amazon that have helped it move ahead," said Canalys Analyst Ben Stanton. "But its biggest advantage is in the channel. Operators and retailers tend to prioritize Google's speakers over those from Amazon, as Amazon is in the tricky position of being a direct competitor. But Amazon is fighting back hard, and the sheer quantity of Alexa Skills and smart home integrations will be tough for any competitor to match."