• by Chuck Martin , April 15, 2019

The installed base of smart speakers is expected to grow 82% from last year to this year, according to a new study by Canalys.

The number of smart speakers is projected to increase from 114 million units in 2018 to 208 million this year.

The U.S. is expected to maintain its lead in smart speaker adoption, reaching 42% of the global market by the end of this year. China’s smart speaker installed base is projected to reach 60 million units by the end of this year.

“The growing installed base of smart speakers is an opportunity to create new business models and to drive profit beyond music and audio content streaming services,” stated Canalys senior analyst Jason Low. “Smart assistants are becoming a conduit to offer services, such as assisted living, healthcare and government services. Smart speakers and smart displays are relatively new device categories for service entities.”