“It’s probably fair to say that Apple’s first-generation HomePod didn’t exactly revolutionize the smart-speaker industry, which is already dominated by heavyweights like Amazon and Google,” Ashraf Eassa writes for The Motley Fool. “In fact, according to Strategy Analytics, HomePod ‘did not feature in the top-five ranking by shipments’ during the second quarter of 2018.”
“That might lead you to think that the HomePod is something of a dud, right? Well, not so fast,” Eassa writes. “Strategy Analytics also says that HomePod ‘did top the market value rankings with 16% share of wholesale revenues.’ HomePod also apparently nabbed ‘a [dominant] 70% share of the small but growing [$200-plus] premium price band.””
“In other words, Apple’s HomePod has captured a significant chunk of industry-wide smart speaker revenues and has a very high share in the market for high-priced smart speakers (Apple’s HomePod sells for $349),” Eassa writes. “The HomePod story is far from written yet, and I look forward to seeing how both the product and its performance in the marketplace evolve over time.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple is hitting their target market and, with HomePod sold on sound quality first (not Siri, thankfully), these are the buyers who are most likely to have the type of disposable income that best facilitates things Apple likes even more than hardware sales: Recurring Apple Music subscriptions.
Due to its delayed late start, Apple’s HomePod is a story for Christmas 2018 and beyond.
A finally-finished HomePod (with flawless multi-room audio and stereo pairing out of the box) and, potentially others in the HomePod family, are products for Christmas 2018 and beyond. — MacDailyNews, April 13, 2018
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s HomePod dominates with 70% share of premium smart speaker market – September 19, 2018
Just 2% of Apple customers have a HomePod – September 18, 2018
Despite missing last Christmas by a mile, Apple gains a foothold in the smart speaker market – August 14, 2018
Metro UK reviews Apple’s HomePod: Get the credit card out and buy two – August 6, 2018
How to group HomePod and Sonos speakers for multi-speaker surround sound – July 27, 2018
Yes, two Apple HomePods really are better than one – July 19, 2018
iMore reviews Apple’s HomePod: Retina for your ears – June 18, 2018
Can a pair of Apple’s HomePods take on a surround sound theater system? – June 18, 2018
David Pogue reviews Apple HomePod with stereo and multi-room capabilities: ‘Ooh, man’ – June 13, 2018
HomePod stereo pairing took a frustratingly long time to arrive, but it was worth the wait – May 30, 2018
Strategy Analytics: Apple shipped 600,000 HomePods in Q1 for 6% share of smart speaker market – May 17, 2018
Apple HomePod: The audiophile perspective plus 8 1/2 hours of measurements; HomePod is 100% an audiophile-grade speaker – February 12, 2018
“’ HomePod also apparently nabbed ‘a [dominant] 70% share of the small but growing [$200-plus] premium price band.”
Is this supposed to mean something? How many others are in competition? Talk about a selective market metric.
While I am certainly cheering for Apple to dominate this market, the late to the game missteps under Cook are not comforting…
Anything “written” or posted by Motley Fool is FUBAR! Once in a while I accidentally click on an article till I suddenly realize I’ve been had by more Motley BS. Today they Love Apple, tomorrow they’re haters.. copying and pasting crap together from other postings and then trying to sell you their products, living off the backs of the creatives, the talent, which none of them have, so they write about others successes and failures.
Robert, I think you have it right. Over the past 30-35 years my experience with “the Fools “ has been the same as yours. In the beginning they had a few decent insights and recommendations but by the 5 year mark it became as you’ve described. I did invest early on in a few of their recommendations but nothing much to report regarding making any money.
Apple brings the scrutiny on themselves. If Apple continues to shelter poor sellers under the “Other” category in financial statements, then investors and bloggers alike will question what the hell Apple is doing.
For a company with only about 40 hardware products, it should not be that hard to honestly report sales for each and every product line. End the speculation by reporting the truth.
Gotta wonder what idiots downvote you for proposing better investor transparency from Apple. It would eliminate tons of analyst guesswork stories that dominate the internet.
You and Mike are correct. “Idiots” = blind fanbbois. Nuff said…