Voice Control ANALYSIS
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Voice people
Amazon Echo Dot
More and more people are switching on to how the smart home can make their lives easier and voice control is fast becoming mainstream. Jamie Carter reports
W e need to talk about voice assistants.
They’re everywhere, with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant poised to revolutionise how consumers interact with electronics of all kinds. The voice-based interface is here, and so far, it’s smart speakers that dominate. “Wireless speakers have become a dominant force in home audio hardware, with shipments increasing more than 30 per cent in 2017,” says Simon Bryant, director of research at Futuresource Consulting. “However, the real star of the show is the smart speaker sub-segment – introduced just two years ago.
Smart speakers have captured the imagination of consumers and are enjoying high levels of uptake.” In the second half of 2017, the number of smart speakers available on the market increased from just 10 to more than 40, but some think that this surge is only just beginning. “2018 is the year competition in this market truly begins – and the year true mainstream adoption accelerates,” says Paul Erickson, senior analyst at IHS Markit. “We expect numerous third-party smart speakers built around one or more digital assistants, so consumers will have more choices when it comes to price, form factors, style, and audio quality.” The trend does seem to be towards wider voice compatibility. “Watch this space for speakers that support multiple voice platforms,” says Mr Bryant, “allowing consumers to choose their
smart speaker based on the feature set rather than the voice platform it supports.” For example, in a move that stresses the importance to some brands of open standards between ecosystems and ‘walled gardens’, the Sonos One will soon support both Alexa and Google Assistant.
Upgrades From 27 million units in 2017, 39m smart speakers are forecast to be shipped globally in 2018. Maplin reported just after Christmas that various Amazon Echo and Google Home products made-up four of its top-fi ve selling products in the smart-home category. Alexa appears to be the most desirable, with 22 per cent of its customers hoping to purchase one in the next six months. However, with the Amazon Echo and Google
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