Last month, we commented that sales of HomePod had stagnated in the US and that, although not good news, is better than having reduced sales. Well, a month has passed and sales of Apple’s smart speaker have dropped, as reported by Strategy Analytics.
According to a new survey by the firm, the smartspeaker most popular in the USA is the Amazon Echo, which accounted for 23% in sales of all smart speakers marketed in the country. Including all of its models, Amazon is responsible for 63% of these devices in use, while Google is in second place with 17% and Apple in third place, with 4%.
Strategy Analitycs data shows the 10 best-selling speakers in the USAlthough HomePod has a small share of the global market, last month’s Strategy Analytics data indicated that Apple is responsible for 70% of the small (but growing) smart speaker market that costs more than $ 200, in which the speaker from Apple surpasses some competitors such as Google Home Max.
As we said, the data is not surprising (even if negatively), as devices from Amazon and Google have lower prices, ranging between $ 50 and $ 130, while the HomePod is sold for $ 350 in the U.S. The marketing game also influences this outcome: Apple has marketed the HomePod as a speaker premium who also has a virtual assistant, instead of a personal assistant who also plays music.
The survey also found that there is plenty of room for other brands of smart speakers, considering that 54% of users surveyed said they would buy these devices only from Amazon, Google or Apple, leaving little less than the other half open to competitors like Bose, Samsung and Sonos.
HomePod is launched in Spain and Mexico
Although HomePod’s share of sales is not one of the largest in the United States, it is worth noting that the device recently hit the market and is still expanding its share in other countries. This Friday, inclusive, the Apple smart speaker was launched in two new countries: Spain and Mexico. Until then, HomePod was sold only in Germany, Australia, Canada, the United States, France and the United Kingdom.
To celebrate the launch, Tim Cook (who is in tour Europe) met yesterday with Apple employees in Madrid to promote not only HomePod, but iPhone XR, which started to be sold today in several countries.
The music runs through our venas. Thank you for making HomePod’s launch in Spain extra special, @rosaliavt! Your new album is phenomenal. pic.twitter.com/VnJARrgV9X
– Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 25, 2018
Music runs through our veins. Thank you for making the launch of HomePod in Spain more than special, @rosaliavt! Your new album is phenomenal.
Our teams here in Madrid and all around the world are gearing up for Friday’s launch of iPhone XR. Thanks for stopping by, @rosaliavt! pic.twitter.com/3YsBkNo8bB
– Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 25, 2018
Our teams here in Madrid and around the world are preparing for the launch of the iPhone XR on Friday. Thanks for visiting, @rosaliavt!
There is still no information about possible future expansions of HomePod. In Spain, the HomePod is sold for € 350, while in Mexico the speaker costs MX $ 8 thousand.
via MacRumors, Cult of Mac