Apple’s first (and only) smart speaker may not be a failure, but it is also not a success – and sales of the HomePod illustrate this well.
A new report released by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) analyzed sales of smart speakers in the United States during the second quarter of this year and, even though Apple reduced the value of HomePod in early April, the device’s market share has not increased.
CIRP data shows that the installed base of smart speakers reached 76 million units in the US – a growth of 6 million in the last quarter alone. Who leads this legion of devices is the Echo, from Amazon, which obtained a 70% stake; the different models of Google Home took the second place, with expressiveness of 25%, leaving the HomePod (again) with only 5% of the total installed base.
According to CIRP co-founder Josh Lowitz, the battle between low-cost smart speakers was what boosted sales in the second quarter of this year – a market that, despite the reduction in the HomePod price, is not up to him, a since it covers the device niche up to $ 100 (while the HomePod costs $ 300).
The question remains: does Apple still have any plans to shake HomePod sales?
via 9to5Mac | image: Unsplash
