A new report finds smart speaker owners are more likely to get into home tech
Smart speakers – and the digital assistants inside them – are acting as a gateway to the smart home, according to a new report.
Stats from Statista show that people who have invested in an Amazon Echo, Google Home or other voice controlled smart speakers are much more likely to go on and buy smart home products.
Get connected: The best Alexa connected devices
According to the research, it’s smart light bulbs which are the first port of call for smart speaker owners, who are 6.6x more likely to make a purchase than those without a digital assistant in their home. Somewhat surprisingly, next in line is a smart hub (3.3x more likely to buy) followed by smart thermostats. Streaming sticks/boxes and smart TVs also get a boost.
The report does point out that it’s more likely for early adopters of smart speakers to also be interested in other kinds of technology, but at The Ambient we’ve always said that the smart home can start to make more sense when voice control is added.
And there’s plenty of smart speakers out there. Statista also cites a comScore report that claims that the percentage of US households using a smart speaker has risen to 11% – up from just 8% in June 2017. It’s a pretty impressive rate of adoption, which has quickly become a battleground for the biggest names in tech to stake a claim to your home.
Get started: Your guide to a Nest smart home
Thermostats are easy to control via a phone, but lighting is a faff to switch on and off via an app – and voice makes that transformation much easier. In fact, many speakers are now bundled with a Philips Hue bulb to get people started.
Make sure you check out our guides to choosing and buying the best smart bulbs for your home, and how to get the most from your smart speaker.
