Skip to main content

Nearly half of all US homes could have a smart speaker this year, Adobe says

Nearly half of all US homes could have a smart speaker this year, Adobe says

Share this story

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

It’s no secret that smart speakers are the hottest new category of gadgets, and Adobe says they’re on track to continue seeing rapid growth. In a poll of US consumers, Adobe Analytics found that nearly half could own one by the end of the year if current buying plans actually pan out.

The poll found that 32 percent of consumers currently report owning a smart speaker. That’s up from 28 percent in December — a jump that Adobe sees as remarkable since most smart speakers are sold around the holidays.

Speakers are getting used more, too

That seems to suggest an even larger jump in stores for later this year. And while Adobe doesn’t estimate the increase specifically, it did find that enough people said they planned on buying a smart speaker later this year that ownership should jump up to cover 48 percent of US consumers.

Even if all those people don’t follow through, the buying trends still speak to the category’s quick growth. Adobe found that people are using their speakers more, too. Smart speaker owners report their usage of voice assistants is up 76 percent year over year, and 71 percent of owners now say they use their speaker at least once a day.