Why Is Apple HomePod Losing Ground In US Market?

Research data shows that Apple’s HomePod isn’t doing as well as other smart speakers in the U.S. market. Why is this so?

According to research conducted by the Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), fewer U.S. homes own an Apple HomePod compared to homes that own Amazon’s Echo or Google’s Home speakers.

In the report, titled “HomePod Grabs A Little Share,” the CIRP estimates that about 70 percent of U.S. homes own an Amazon Echo, about 24 percent of homes have Google Home speakers, and a mere 5 percent of U.S. homes have an Apple HomePod.

Furthermore, Amazon Echo and Google Home owners are also more likely to have more than one unit compared to those who own an Apple HomePod. The research states that 34% of Amazon Echo owners have more than one unit (some of them own as much as four units), while 31% of Google Home owners report having more than one unit (some of them own as much as three units).

The research firm noted that while the HomePod “now has a small but meaningful share,” it still has a long way to go before getting a bigger share in the market. This is largely due to the fact that the HomePod costs a lot more compared to the other smart speakers in the survey.

MacRumors noted that the price gap between the Apple-branded device and the others is huge. Despite dropping the HomePod’s selling price from $349 to $299, it still is more expensive compared to the Echo and the Home speakers.

Apple may have slashed $50 off the HomePod’s price, but it’s a fact that with only $50, consumers can already get smaller versions of Amazon and Google’s speakers. -- Amazon’s Echo Dot sells for $50 (lower if sold in sales and promotions), and Google’s Home Mini sells for $49.

Nevertheless, it’s also a fact that Amazon has been selling Echo home speakers years before Apple sold its first HomePod. The retail giant got a head start which helped it to establish its home speakers before the Cupertino tech company got the chance. Both Amazon and Google also have a huge price advantage, being that their offerings are much cheaper.