Research Reveals 1-in-6 Americans Now Own a Smart Speaker

The market for smart speakers has boomed in 2017 with more products hitting the market. In fact, according to National Public Radio (NPR) and Edison research, one in six Americans own a smart speaker device. That is a considerable 128% increase from January 2017. That is 16% of the population or over 39 million users.

Amazon Leads the Pack

Although Google rallied in 2017 with their breadth of Google Home products, Amazon is in a very healthy lead. Amazon Echo accounts for 11% compared to Google’s 4% share. A burst of sales from Black Friday until the holiday season accounts for 7% of the sales for the year. Around 4% of holiday shoppers are first time buyers.

This is great news for both companies despite the fact that analysts suggests both lost money per unit sold. Both Amazon and Google discounted their Echo dot and Home Mini down to $29 during Black Friday and Holiday season.

According to the research, 64% intends to automate home control while 64% did it to entertain family and friends. Surprisingly, a large amount also say their purchase is influenced by the fact that they want to listen more to audio than watch TV. With the proliferation of podcasting and music streaming services, home listening is more convenient now more than ever.

More details are available in the NPR report, available here in PDF form.