Most of the slowdown can be attributed to the Amazon Alexa platform (including own branded and 3rd party branded speakers), which saw a decline of 31% QoQ for smart speaker shipments in the US.

Smart speaker shipments slowed in the US during the second quarter (2Q21), with year-on-year (YoY) growth of just 16%, while quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) shipments declined by 27% The discontinuation of the original HomePod may have contributed to the spike in growth, as Apple enthusiasts rushed to buy the remaining stock.Īpple’s performance is particularly impressive when seen against a backdrop of a slowing market, with Amazon’s Alexa products hardest hit. Ironically, discontinuing the original model likely also helped. In fact, Apple’s market share of US smart speakers has increased from 9.6% in 1H20 to 21% in 1H21, a YoY shipment increase of about 245%. There was even better news on the market share front.Īpple’s smart speakers have continued to grow at historic rates. Omdia’s smart speakers market tracker says that HomePod sales increased from under a million in Q2 2020 to almost 2.5 million in the same quarter this year. Apple discontinued it a few months after launching the far less capable but more compellingly priced HomePod mini.

However, the speaker never really got the traction it deserved, mostly because people evaluated it as a smart speaker rather than as an incredibly capable audio product at a really good price. That tech had previously been the domain of high-end speakers costing four- and five-figure sums. At the time, it was the first affordable speaker to offer beam-forming technology – a combination of multiple drivers and microphones that allow a speaker to shape the sound to the room in which it is placed. Market intelligence company Omdia does, however, suggest that Apple may need to launch a new version to maintain this momentum …Īpple launched the original HomePod in 2018.

A new report today says that HomePod sales grew 180% from the second quarter of 2020 to the same quarter this year. HomePod sales estimates appear to validate Apple’s decision to launch the $99 HomePod mini before subsequently discontinuing the original HomePod.

Sales tracker numbers for mac