Why it matters: Google is preparing to fill out its Google Home range of smart speakers this holiday season with a new model equipped with a display. It's a smart move as it puts Google on equal footing with Amazon and gets it out further ahead of Apple.
(Lenovo's Smart Display, powered by Google Assistant)
Sources familiar with the matter tell Nikkei Asian Review that the new product will be similar to Amazon's Echo Show. Presumably, it would fit in at the upper end of Google's smart speaker line which already consists of the Google Home Mini, the standard Google Home and the Google Home Max.
An industry source told the publication that Google has an aggressive plan to ship roughly three million units in the first wave. By comparison, Amazon only managed to ship 315,000 Echo Shows in 2017 according to research firm Canalys.
Recent data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) revealed that Amazon has captured the overwhelming majority of the US smart speaker market with its Echo line of products. According to the firm, Amazon owned 70 percent of the market as of June 30 followed by Google's 24 percent share with its Google Home line. Apple, meanwhile, has only managed to grab a six percent share.
Canalys estimates that the number of installed smart speakers is expected to surpass the 100 million mark by the end of 2018. If true, that'd be a nearly 2.5x increase compared to the installed base at the end of last year.
Lead image courtesy GadgetMatch