Early statistics show that there is not as much interest in HomePod as Apple might have expected

For the first time since the release of the HomePod smart speaker, statistics have appeared on the web about how the novelty from Apple is doing. They were published by Strategy Analysts, a market research company. According to their data, only a little over half a million units were sold, which probably won't make Apple jump to the ceiling for joy.

Information about HomePod speaker sales numbers was part of traditional smart speaker market research. In it, Amazon is still the clear number one with its various range of speakers using the Alexa assistant. In the first quarter, the company sold roughly four million units and thus holds 43,6% of the market. Google is a distant second with 2,4 million units sold and a 26,5% market share. It is followed by the Chinese Alibaba, whose products are popular mainly in its home market, and Apple is only in fourth place.

According to published information, Apple managed to sell approximately 600 speakers in the past quarter, which gives it a 6% market share. If we look at the total sales numbers, 9,2 million smart speakers were sold worldwide in the last three months. Apple's position is relatively weak compared to the competition.

Sales and market share figures could change in the coming months as the HomePod reaches (officially) other markets. There is talk of Germany, France, Spain and Japan, although the last named country must be taken with a certain reserve. Currently, the speaker is only officially offered in the US, UK and Australia. However, these markets should be the most lucrative. Therefore, it is quite surprising that the sales figures are so low.

In the corridors, there has been speculation for a long time that Apple is preparing a second, significantly cheaper model. It may be the price that deters many potential customers. The biggest competitors in this segment offer a greater number of products, thus managing to fill several different price categories. With its HomePod and $350 price tag, Apple is only targeting a very specific segment of customers. A cheaper model would certainly benefit sales.

Source: Cultofmac, 9to5mac

Discussion of the article

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LET'S FACE IT HOMEPOD IS EXPENSIVE CRAP. HE PLAYS BAD AND IS VERY CLOSED.
HOWEVER, THIS IS WHAT I EXPECTED. A STORE NOT FOR SALE.