While I understand why all "smart speakers" are lumped together regardless of price point, at some point all speakers will be smart speakers, and then we can finally get an accurate comparison of classes of product. As others have pointed out, HomePod (and Google Max and Sonos One) are always going to look like extremely minor players when there are $30 Alexa devices (which are completely awful as speakers) out there, unless you start measuring by profitability (a yardstick that has become very important in the smartphone world in recent years).
I'd love to see a company with reasonable data offer estimates on the ~$300 "premium" smart speaker market. I'd bet Apple will come out on top or second place behind Sonos in that match-up, which would paint a far more accurate picture of that class of product.
PS. Would it really have been too much bother to put "Claim:" or "Analyst:" at the beginning of this headline to make it actually accurate? While I have no data to contradict SA's numbers, they aren't verified by anyone else, even the other professional guessers ...
I'd love to see a company with reasonable data offer estimates on the ~$300 "premium" smart speaker market. I'd bet Apple will come out on top or second place behind Sonos in that match-up, which would paint a far more accurate picture of that class of product.
I don't use Strategy Analytics' data but having worked with other analyst firms, usually the press release is just a taster for a larger report that includes shipments, value, and often splits the market into price bands. Looking at the table of contents, this seems like a quick and dirty report that might just be designed to get some coverage but I would guess that eventually they'll have more data. Once they have shipments, it'd take a few minutes to plug in some ASPs and make value estimates by price band.
I'd love to see a company with reasonable data offer estimates on the ~$300 "premium" smart speaker market. I'd bet Apple will come out on top or second place behind Sonos in that match-up, which would paint a far more accurate picture of that class of product.
I don't use Strategy Analytics' data but having worked with other analyst firms, usually the press release is just a taster for a larger report that includes shipments, value, and often splits the market into price bands. Looking at the table of contents, this seems like a quick and dirty report that might just be designed to get some coverage but I would guess that eventually they'll have more data. Once they have shipments, it'd take a few minutes to plug in some ASPs and make value estimates by price band.
They already have a much more detailed report for purchase. I know because I was offered it. No interest myself.
It's very fair to compare the HomePod to the Google Home Max and the Sonos One, but it's ridiculous to compare it to any current Amazon-made speaker, as they sound awful. Why not compare HomePod to the Megaboom, or any other decent BT speaker? Why not compare CarPlay to every available manufacturer-provided in-car infotainment system? Why not compare a MacBook Pro to a Chromebook, since they look the same and on some level do the same things?
Do you get it yet?
By the way: Sonos must have sold less than 200.000 speakers because they are even not mentioned and Xiaomi is No 5 with 200.000 sold units.
We there can see: In Q4/2017 Sonos was on rank 4 and they sold about 400.000 units.
Thus: Apple kicked Sonos not only out of the top five, but Apple sold in three countries within 2 months 600.000 HomePods, that means more than 3x the number of units Sonos sold (Xiaomi 5th with 200.000 units, therefore Sonos must have <200.000 sold units) worldwide - and over all Sonos speaker systems, not just with Sonos One.
And from my point of view Sonos One should be compared to Apple HomePod and we then can see: Apple with the HomePod rules the market for HiFi smart speekers from the beginning.
THIS is the real story behind the Strategy Analytics figures.
It's very fair to compare the HomePod to the Google Home Max and the Sonos One, but it's ridiculous to compare it to any current Amazon-made speaker, as they sound awful. Why not compare HomePod to the Megaboom, or any other decent BT speaker? Why not compare CarPlay to every available manufacturer-provided in-car infotainment system? Why not compare a MacBook Pro to a Chromebook, since they look the same and on some level do the same things?
Do you get it yet?
By the way: Sonos must have sold less than 200.000 speakers because they are even not mentioned and Xiaomi is No 5 with 200.000 sold units.
We there can see: In Q4/2017 Sonos was on rank 4 and they sold about 400.000 units.
Thus: Apple kicked Sonos not only out of the top five, but Apple sold in three countries within 2 months 600.000 HomePods, that means more than 3x the number of units Sonos sold (Xiaomi 5th with 200.000 units, therefore Sonos must have <200.000 sold units) worldwide - and over all Sonos speaker systems, not just with Sonos One.
And from my point of view Sonos One should be compared to Apple HomePod and we then can see: Apple with the HomePod rules the market for HiFi smart speekers from the beginning.
THIS is the real story behind the Strategy Analytics figures.
Are you sure that's all Sonos speakers? In the SA report on the 2016 wi-fi speaker market, they estimated Sonos at 4m speakers. Dropping to 200k/quarter would be a massive plummet. It's possible of course but I almost would have thought they'd see some growth.
Comments
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180517006158/en/Strategy-Analytics-Amazon's-Global-Smart-Speaker-Share/
But the drama isn’t over yet.
Apple is known for... ”Slowly I turn... Step by step... Inch! by inch!”
I'd love to see a company with reasonable data offer estimates on the ~$300 "premium" smart speaker market. I'd bet Apple will come out on top or second place behind Sonos in that match-up, which would paint a far more accurate picture of that class of product.
PS. Would it really have been too much bother to put "Claim:" or "Analyst:" at the beginning of this headline to make it actually accurate? While I have no data to contradict SA's numbers, they aren't verified by anyone else, even the other professional guessers ...
By the way: Sonos must have sold less than 200.000 speakers because they are even not mentioned and Xiaomi is No 5 with 200.000 sold units.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180517006158/en/Strategy-Analytics-Amazon's-Global-Smart-Speaker-Share/
So why do I know that Strategy Analytics did know hoe many units Sonos sold in Q1 2018?
Because I referenced to their Q4/2017 numbers:
https://www.strategyanalytics.com/strategy-analytics/news/strategy-analytics-press-releases/strategy-analytics-press-release/2018/02/27/strategy-analytics-explosive-growth-for-smart-speakers-continues-as-global-sales-top-18-million-units-in-q4-2017
We there can see: In Q4/2017 Sonos was on rank 4 and they sold about 400.000 units.
Thus: Apple kicked Sonos not only out of the top five, but Apple sold in three countries within 2 months 600.000 HomePods, that means more than 3x the number of units Sonos sold (Xiaomi 5th with 200.000 units, therefore Sonos must have <200.000 sold units) worldwide - and over all Sonos speaker systems, not just with Sonos One.
And from my point of view Sonos One should be compared to Apple HomePod and we then can see: Apple with the HomePod rules the market for HiFi smart speekers from the beginning.
THIS is the real story behind the Strategy Analytics figures.