The HomePod digs into the smart speaker market, as Tim Cook dubs it the first 'modern' one

by Daniel Petrov / Feb 22, 2018, 8:46 AM

The HomePod digs into the smart speaker market, as Tim Cook dubs it the first 'modern' one

From the folks that brought us endless fun comparing Apple's new HomePod smarts to the Amazon Echo and Google Home, now comes a more scientific research which follows the market share that said HomePod managed to carve out after its launch on February 9th.

It turns out that Apple's smart $349 speaker already has 3% of the growing market just two weeks after launch. Given that Google and Amazon are saturating the industry with 50-buck speakers, and even less on promotion, this is no small feat.

As to what people are using their smart speakers most for, that's music, unsurprisingly, followed by weather disclosures and general questions. Apple has certainly mastered the first two categories with the HomePod, and, while poor Siri is intellectually challenged compared to Google's Assistant or Amazon's Alexa, it's still the new kid on the playground, and it's inevitable to play catchup to the big AI boys.

Apple's CEO Tim Cook just sat down for an interview, and had the following to say to the naysayers who dub the HomePod a "metoo" product:

FC: Sometimes Apple takes the lead, introducing unique features–Face ID, for instance. Other times you’re okay to follow, as long as you deliver what you feel is better, like HomePod, which is not the first home speaker. How do you decide when it’s okay to follow?

TC: I wouldn’t say “follow.” I wouldn’t use that word because that implies we waited for somebody to see what they were doing. That’s actually not what’s happening. What’s happening if you look under the sheets, which we probably don’t let people do, is that we start projects years before they come out. You could take every one of our products–iPod, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch–they weren’t the first, but they were the first modern one, right?

HomePod market share

source: LoupVentures & FC

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22 Comments

1. RebelwithoutaClue unregistered

Not that surprising they already have 3%, it has the name Apple on it, so people in the Apple ecosystem will buy it. "Also, they were the first modern one, right?" Nope, at least not for the Apple Watch. For the others, perhaps not the first but they were the most modern one at the time.

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 8:50 AM 8

19. sgodsell

Posts: 7440; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

This is just more propaganda. If music is the most used feature. Which I don't believe it is. I believe it's the smart features first and foremost. But putting that aside and let's go with what they said music is the most used feature. Then you can get a Google Home or Amazon Alexa and connect via Bluetooth to other speakers including Apples own beats stereo speakers and save yourself a ton of money. But there is a ton of other stereo speakers already on the market, and they cost a lot less than Apples mono HomePod. Which if you want stereo, then you have to buy two homepods ($700). To tell me you cannot find stereo speakers for less than $350? Give me a break. Plus the HomePod only supports Apples Music only (don't bring Airplay into this, because if you have to do that, then buy a Bluetooth speaker). The 3% is really part of Apples sales motto. A sucker is born every minute.

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 7:00 PM 1

22. sgodsell

Posts: 7440; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

It was a survey of 520 users. What kind of users? So biased.

posted on Feb 23, 2018, 5:39 PM 0

2. TerryD

Posts: 553; Member since: May 09, 2017

If you dont even use Siri why would you go out and buy one of these?

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 9:01 AM 1

3. Cat97

Posts: 1927; Member since: Mar 02, 2017

Because the Home Pod is probably the most modern way to paint white circles on your wooden floor, if you need them.

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 9:11 AM 19

5. kennybenny

Posts: 217; Member since: Apr 10, 2017

LOL! so true!!!! You can probably create a Olympics logo on your wooden table with the HomePod and profit from the table when you are ready to sell the table. You can call it Apple Inspired Modern 2018 Olympics table, and charge $1000 for the table and for a extra $299, includes the HomePod to make the marks last longer....

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 9:30 AM 2

4. SIGPRO

Posts: 2817; Member since: Oct 03, 2012

Hardcore iFans bought it because it can make iCircles. iCircles is the most innovative what apple did in years!

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 9:25 AM 6

6. Martin_Cooper

Posts: 1774; Member since: Jul 30, 2013

Probably the most wall blocked apple hardware in recent years. Even if I had apple music I would still not go for it knowing it cant be a dedicated speaker and it wont work basically with anything other than apple music. Just imagine if they made headphones that would only work with apple hardware and only with apple made apps. lol!!! (that's probably in the making too, Cook's dream of s**tting on Jobs legacy)

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 10:28 AM 2

7. tedkord

Posts: 17413; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

Wrong, Tim. And, follow is the perfect word.

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 10:54 AM 6

8. Dr.Phil

Posts: 2443; Member since: Feb 14, 2011

“3% of market share which is no small feat” I’m sorry Daniel, but I have to disagree with you there. Even Cortana, which like the Apple HomePod only has one speaker offering and it’s normally $200, has managed to steal 15% of the smart speaker share. And they released the Invoke just 3 months ago. In 3 months, the Invoke which doesn’t have the same heavy advertisement and commercials or the cult like following of Apple was able to still take home 15% of the market share. Let’s not forget, too, that Apple generally sells more products within the first month of its offering than it does over time. So, even if BEST CASE they continue this trend of every month gaining 3% of the market share like they did this month, it would still only be 9% of the market share. Less than the Invoke. This isn’t something to brag about. That is a failure no matter if your an Apple fan or not.

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 11:01 AM 2

9. Martin_Cooper

Posts: 1774; Member since: Jul 30, 2013

Apple watch is the same failure too. But apple managed to spin it around with its crap. In reality Apple watch has the biggest market share of a embarrassingly tiny market that are smartwatches nowadays. Next few months they will find a way to market the homepod too like its the best selling smartspeaker that can leave a stain on wooden tables and floors.

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 11:06 AM 1

11. apple-rulz

Posts: 2195; Member since: Dec 27, 2016

Show the sales numbers of the Apple Watch please.

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 11:45 AM 0

12. midan

Posts: 2999; Member since: Oct 09, 2017

First of all it was two weeks, secondly i don't think HomePod is kind a product which sells first most, this will sell more and more when people see them in use of their friends family etc. This is more like Apple Watch, sales getting bigger and bigger over time.

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 12:13 PM 0

16. TechSceptic

Posts: 1156; Member since: Feb 05, 2018

See them in us? They don't work with anything, so they probably won't see them actually functioning. It doesn't even have basic bluetooth capabilities or an AUX jack!

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 12:56 PM 0

17. Dr.Phil

Posts: 2443; Member since: Feb 14, 2011

You can’t exact exactly compare the smart speaker market to the smart watch market. First of all, when Apple came along with their first watch it was an improvement over most smart watches offered at that time for that price point (except of course for its short battery life). And it sold the most units in its first quarter at 7.2 million whereas Android Wear only sold 720,000 units the entire year before. Second quarter sales dropped off by about 3 million. Secondly, as I said, Apple improved on the smartwatch when it introduced the first gen back in 2015. However, Apple didn’t exactly improve smart speakers by introducing the latest HomePod. Siri is still half baked compared to the competition and a lot of the functionality is still not there (multi room audio isn’t going to be a thing for a while). Also, Apple Watch is still somewhat open in terms of the third party apps that you can use on it. The HomePod isn’t open to anything besides Apple Music or what you transmit to it over AirPlay. You can’t even use the thing as a basic Bluetooth speaker.

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 4:39 PM 0

14. eelpout

Posts: 34; Member since: Oct 13, 2016

The Harman Kardon Invoke (w/Cortana) at the current market price of $100 is a good deal. I'm using it more than my Homes at this point as I like its responses better and in IMO the audio is overall better too (haven't heard a Max yet).

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 12:24 PM 0

10. TechSceptic

Posts: 1156; Member since: Feb 05, 2018

I know he is forced to try and hype us his firm, but this is just straight up lying and making things up. The fact that he is forced to utter some completely garbage just shows how the Apple Homepod doesn't really have a leg up on the competition in a single way, The Homepod is the exact opposite of a "modern" smart speaker (Whatever modern means, i'm just going to assume it means "good" in this case). The following reasons shows why it's the exact opposite of modern. - The homepod has mono sound - The homepod has horrible versatility and availability when it comes to wireless connectivity. It only really works as a smart speaker when you're giving Apple money through Apple music. - When it comes to wired connectivity, it doesn't even have any. The competition has "features", such as the AUX jack, which is the standard within audio equipment. The homepod doesn't have something that basic. - It's inferior to other smart speakers, as a smart speaker, as it's very limited and Siri is nowhere near as smart as Google Assistant or Alexa. Furthermore, Alexa and Google Assistant has a whole range of other devices it can communicate and work with. The list goes on...

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 11:10 AM 0

13. midan

Posts: 2999; Member since: Oct 09, 2017

Well done Apple, looks like it won't take long to pass cortana and then google home is next. Propably after summer HomePod is already a third

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 12:17 PM 0

15. TechSceptic

Posts: 1156; Member since: Feb 05, 2018

"baaaaaaaah"

posted on Feb 22, 2018, 12:43 PM 4

21. sgodsell

Posts: 7440; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

It was already stated back in December that Google's Home has surpassed 9 million units. Look it up yourself. If Apple can sell 9 million of these HomePods, then good luck with that. Especially since it's functionality is so restricted. It kind of defeats the word smart speaker. It shouldn't use the word smart. So anyone buying this MONO speaker is not very smart. But then again if Apple sold a poop on a stick, then the sheep would line up to buy it, and then preach that Apple makes the best poop on a stick.