Apple Shipped 600k HomePod Speakers in Q1 of 2018

According to new sales estimates from market research firm Strategy Analytics, Apple shipped an estimated 600,000 HomePod speakers on the first quarter of 2018. The sales allowed the tech giant Apple to capture 6 percent of the global smart speaker market, right behind Amazon, Google, and Alibaba.

Amazon continues to dominate as the company shipped an estimated 4 million Echo smart speakers— 43.6 percent of the market, followed by Google shipping 2.4 million Home speakers or 26.5 percent market share. It increased dramatically from its previous 12.4 percent. Alibaba placed third as the company had 700,000 shipments or 7.6 percent of the global smart speaker market.

Strategy Analytics emphasized the word ‘shipped’ and not ‘sold’.

On the other hand, Apple has yet to release its official figures. The company made its smart speaker HomePod available to the market in February of the current year—meaning it didn’t have the full quarter, which ended on March 31st. to rack up sales.

HomePod has faced several upside down stories since its release. Reports have indicated that Apple has slashed the smart speaker forecasts and supplier orders due to lackluster sales.

Market Competition

Director of Strategy Analytics David Watkins said, “Amazon and Google accounted for a dominant 70 percent share of global smart speaker shipments in Q1 2018 although their combined share has fallen from 84 percent in Q4 2017 and 94 percent in the year ago quarter.”

“This is partly as a result of strong growth in the Chinese market for smart speakers where both Amazon and Google are currently absent. Alibaba and Xiaomi are leading the way in China and their strength in the domestic market alone is proving enough to propel them into the global top five,” he added.

Experts say that Apple priced its HomePod too high at $349. This means that the speaker would never compete on a unit shipment bases to companies Google and Amazon, which offer versions of their smart speakers as low as $49.

However, Apple doesn’t need to win in shipment numbers to rise. In addition, it is rumored that the company would have a lower-priced HomePod model coming at the end of the year to help complete its lineup.

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