MILTON KEYNES, England–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sales of smart speakers in China in the first quarter of 2019 grew by
more than 500% year-on-year, according to the latest research from
Strategy Analytics. This lifted global Q1 sales to 25.9 million, a 168%
increase on the same period in 2018. The global market shares of Chinese
brands therefore rose much closer to Amazon and Google, although the US
giants remained in first and second place respectively. Chinese demand
was boosted by promotional activities around the Chinese New Year, and
Baidu’s Xiaodu Zaijia smart displays proved particularly popular.
Strategy Analytics has now increased its forecast for full-year 2019
global shipments by 10% to 147.7 million units.
The full report from Strategy Analytics’ Smart Speakers and Screens
(SSS) service, Smart Speaker Vendor & OS Shipment and Installed Base
Market Share by Region: Q1 2019 can be found here: https://www.strategyanalytics.com/access-services/devices/connected-home/smart-speakers-and-screens/market-data/report-detail/global-smart-speaker-vendor-os-shipments-and-installed-base-market-share-by-region-q1-2019
David Watkins, Director at Strategy Analytics, commented: “For
the first time China has become the world’s largest market for smart
speakers. This was partly because the first quarter is traditionally a
period of strong demand, but it also signals the arrival of smart
speakers as one of the hottest consumer technologies in China, just as
they have been in North America and parts of Europe for the past couple
of years. We expect China’s love affair with smart speakers and displays
to continue for some time to come.”
David Mercer, Vice President at Strategy Analytics, added, “Major
Chinese tech players like Alibaba, Baidu and Xiaomi see smart speakers
as a key strategic play, just as Amazon and Google have done in western
markets. Building mass market voice UI platforms will support the
evolution of existing and new digital services as well as driving
significant new revenue opportunities. For the moment the Chinese
domestic market is the focus but the time will come when these firms
will look elsewhere for growth.”
A complimentary report highlighting the key findings of Strategy
Analytics’ recent consumer survey of early smart speaker adopters is
available here: https://www.strategyanalytics.com/access-services/devices/connected-home/smart-speakers-and-screens/reports/report-detail/understanding-early-smart-speaker-adopters
About Strategy Analytics
Strategy Analytics, Inc. provides the competitive edge with advisory
services, consulting and actionable market intelligence for emerging
technology, mobile and wireless, digital consumer and automotive
electronics companies. With offices in North America, Europe and Asia,
Strategy Analytics delivers insights for enterprise success. www.StrategyAnalytics.com
Contacts
European Contacts:
David Watkins, +33 153 409 952, [email protected]
David
Mercer, +44 1908 423 610, [email protected]
US
Contacts:
Bill Ablondi, +1 617 614 0744, [email protected]
Jack
Narcotta, +1 617 614 0798, [email protected]
