Canalys Predicts 2018 Will Be 'Defining Year' for Smart Speaker Growth

I could never have a “live” speaker in my home. The security issues just bother me.

Sorry if this is rambling, but the topic is so large it is impossible to address in a post. It really needs a full article somewhere.

I hate to say it, but I believe this is going to net out in the pretty near future as Apple's biggest blunder.

This market is already huge and Apple is too late to the game with the wrong product. I already own 8 Echo devices and 3 google Home devices and I am so deep into the Apple ecosystem it is ridiculous. I gave out Echo dots as Christmas presents to everyone in my family. At $29 they were so cheap it was a simple go to gift that everyone wanted and was excited about. Anyone I know that is even slightly tech savvy already has an Echo or a Home device. Echo devices are Amazon's biggest sellers out of all products they sell.

Home automation is going to be an enormous market in the next few years and unfortunately, Siri is awful, Homekit is awful, Homekit doesn't have enough device support (but virtually all devices work with Echo and Home) and Homepod is too expensive. If I'm an audio aficionado, I already own a stereo, why don't I just play my music through that via an Echo dot (for example)? If I'm not an audio aficionado, why would I spend $349 on a speaker?

Apple has no internal infrastructure to handle many of the tasks required to make Homepod more than a music player. Am I going to have to ask Siri to search Google for answers like I have to do on my phone if I want any reliable search results?

Apple should have been focused on creating a line of their own connected hardware under the apple brand and kept it within their ecosystem and rolled it out over the last few years. Apple branded smart locks, security cams, lighting and outlets that set up as easily as Airpods would have been a game changer and they could have charged a massive premium. (There is still time for that if they somehow have this secretly in the works, but that window will be closing very soon). How did they not build an AppleTV with a small speaker and voice recognition built in?

Ugh, this post lacks coherency, but suffice it to say, I think apple has lost their way in many areas (the recent battery thing and what I now consider to be bottom of class customer service when it come to phone and iPad repairs for example) and for the first time in 10 years, I am seriously considering dipping my toes into other ecosystems beyond just educating myself.

I could never have a “live” speaker in my home. The security issues just bother me.

It's kind of like 1984, except that people are willing doing it to themselves. A device that is constantly listening; what could possibly go wrong?

There's already been at least one case where police tried to use a smart speaker in their investigation, and the government can still issue FISA warrants to grab data they want with essentially no real judicial oversight. Apple admits they receive and sometimes comply with "requests" for individuals' data and have offered to help in certain cases.

Some will say this is conspiracy thinking, but no one can dispute the facts. You can interpret them how you like, but I will not be putting a smart speaker in my home.

I don’t think Siri can ever be as good as the google assistant.

As someone as myself who uses Siri on a regular basis, I agree that Google assistant is much better in dictation and producing accurate results. The speed of Google assistant also produces results faster. Siri has its moments when it works efficiently and other times it can be frustrating, but Google Assistant has improved significantly where Siri struggles at times.

We bought a few Amazon Echo Dots at $40 and use them as an intercom system to tell my kids it's time to eat dinner, etc. We use the one in the kitchen for a timer as we cook, and to check the weather. The ones in the bedrooms are used as alarm clocks for the kids too.

My family room AV receiver is Bluetooth so I connected the Echo Dot in the kitchen to that receiver to play my Amazon Prime membership songs over the stereo. No need to fire up the Apple TV anymore.

At some point, I'll start buying the lights and a smart thermostat.

I'm not really sure what Apple's waiting for.

Well, that's better than saying, "2018 will be the defining year for giant monster attacks".







... but only by a little.

I agree with the comments that Apple is too late to this market. I have three Echos and love them. I would have no interest in adding an Apple device that isn’t as functional and costs much more.

Having used Alexa and Google Home, I don't get this issue. Both are superior IMO to Siri. Google Home has way more integrations that Apple does.

These things need personality. Just having a cylinder or block sitting there and forcing users to repeat phrases has limited appeal. Sometimes I’m half way through a question with Siri and the damn thing says ‘Sorry I didn’t catch that.’ even though I haven’t finished.

After 6 years Siri hasn’t noticeably improved and I enjoyed it more on day one. The competition is no better.

“Oh hey, Apple is coming out with a speaker in 2018. I betcha that market will grow.”

Can’t wait to see how the HomePod performs. Google home is fantastic.
I don’t think Siri can ever be as good as the google assistant.