Nearly Half of US Households Will Own Smart Speakers by 2019: Adobe Survey

Smart speakers are swiftly becoming the next big thing in the consumer electronics space, according to a recent poll of US consumers conducted by Adobe Analytics, which estimates that nearly half of US householders will own a smart speaker by year-end if current buying plans pan out. 

Voice-Activated Devices Have 'Fundamentally Changed the Face of Computing'

According to the survey, 32% of American consumers currently own a voice-activated internet connected virtual assistance devices like Amazon.com Inc.'s (AMZN) Echo, Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) HomePod, and Alphabet Inc.'s (GOOGL) Google Home. In December, just 28% of households owned a smart speaker. Adobe added that the jump is more significant given a lot of sales are usually completed during the holiday period, signaling that an even larger increase in sales is in store for later this year. 

(See also: Amazon Vs. Google: Smart Home War Escalates.)

“Technology trends come and go, but we think voice is here to stay,” said Adobe Analytics director of product management Colin Morris in a statement. "Consumers continue to embrace voice as a means to engage their devices and the Internet. It’s a trend that has fundamentally changed the face of computing.”

Not only are more people buying smart speakers, but they're using them more too, according to Adobe. The poll showed usage of voice assistants up 76% over the same period last year. Meanwhile, 71% of owners indicated that they use their speakers at least once per day. Additionally, people are becoming more comfortable talking with their smart speakers in front of others, with the survey finding that 72% of owners say they use the devices in front of others, compared to 29% of people without a smart speaker who are comfortable talking to one. 

The list of companies set to jump on the smart speaker boom extends outside of tech giants such as Amazon and Samsung Electronics. Smart speakers have spiked demand for components suppliers including semiconductor manufacturers and other companies that make speaker modules and motion sensors, creating a robust ecosystem to support the rapid adoption of smart home technology. 

(See also: Google Home Outselling Amazon’s Echo.)