SMART SPEAKERS SEE 78% INCREASE IN 2018

The Smart Audio Report from Edison Research and NPR with December 2018 survey results about smart speakers has been published, and the information reveals expansive growth for the new technology. Alexa, please read out the highlights.

The past year saw another 14m speakers sold for a total of about 53m— nearly 21% of adults in the U.S.—while smart speakers in households grew from 66m in December 2017 to 118m in December 2018, a 78% increase overall.

And it seems the devices have already successfully integrated into the lifestyles of its users, with more than half of smart speaker owners saying they use the devices daily.

“The growth in ownership, particularly the increase in devices per household, really speaks to the tremendous utility of voice assistant technology,” said Tom Webster, Edison’s SVP, "while these devices initially served as audio appliances, they are now becoming integrated into the fabric of everyday life for tens of millions of Americans." Read more about it here.