This encouraging survey shows how smart speakers are catching on
Smart speakers are being used as part of the wider smart home, a survey by CCS Insights has revealed. The figures – part of the analysts’ annual survey – polled 1,035 users of smart speakers on their usage of their devices.
83% of respondents said they used their smart speaker every day, and a significant number claimed to use the device more than when they first got it. Why is this so interesting? Well, it shows that far from being a smart device that struggles to stay relevant, voice control usage grows over time – shaking off the problem of longevity faced by devices such as fitness trackers and smartwatches.
Get started: Your guide to a Nest smart home
There were also some revealing stats around what people actually do with the tech.
An overwhelming 63% used their speaker in the living room, with the kitchen the next most popular location in the home, with 29% of users cooking with their speaker.
Getting information and internet searches was the biggest use for smart speakers (77%) with music and radio used by 67% of users – which is perhaps slightly lower than expected. Timers and alarms were next with 31% and 21% of people used their speaker as a smart home controller.
And as we’ve seen with other surveys and analysis of smart speaker owners, 50% of those asked also use a smart thermostat in their home, with predictably, lighting coming second with 45% of speaker users connecting up their lighting.
It’s yet more evidence of the popularity of smart speakers, after the research we reported last week that concluded that Amazon Echo, Google Home and the forthcoming Apple HomePod are gateways to the smart home.
Check out our round up of the best smart speakers and our guide to choosing the best smart home ecosystem for you.
