Forecast: China will become the engine of growth of the market of smart speakers

Independent analyst firm Canalys has released a forecast that the global smart speaker and display market will surpass 163 million units sold in 2021.

Despite the pandemic, this area is expected to grow by 21%. At the same time, the coronavirus will still seriously affect the popularity of this electronics sector. Sales growth in China, where the epidemic is relatively controlled, will outpace the global average by five times.

At the same time, Canalys noted that since Apple is the only global player in the smart speaker market operating in China, this company will receive clear preferences that still need to be able to implement. HomePod mini promised by the middle of the year in the Middle Kingdom will compete with many inexpensive counterparts.

“Apple has a lot to prove to attract users”, said Jason Low, research manager at Canalys. “The challenge is to deliver measurable improvements and innovation with the least cost increase”.

Canalys also predicted that by 2024 the number of smart speakers worldwide will reach 640 million, which, according to company employees, will pave the way for a paradigm shift in ambient calculations. On the other hand, as analysts at Canalys noted, the creators of smart speakers will have to work hard to meet the requirements of consumers in a pandemic or post-pandemic world.