Digital Home Assistants Making Only 'Small Dent' in US Market, Says Report

Three-fourths of U.S. consumers ages 13 to 64 have used voice commands on a device, said a GfK report Wednesday. Smartphones led devices used for voice control at 69 percent, followed by tablets at 21 percent; car infotainment systems 20 percent; PCs 18 percent; and TVs 14 percent. Less than two years after introduction, digital home assistants (DHA) “have yet to make more than a small dent” in the U.S. market, said GfK, with 10 percent of consumers owning an Amazon Echo or Dot and 2 percent owning a Google Home, it said. Among nonowners, intent to buy a DHA is low, with just 3 percent “very likely” to buy one in the next year, it said. Forty-six percent of consumers owning a DHA say they use the devices regularly, and 19 percent use them “all the time,” said the report, with playing music the top use case at 63 percent. Other uses for DHAs: ask a question; get news, weather, traffic and sports reports; control lights, thermostats and fans; check calendars and to-do lists; play videos; search for and play podcasts; read and compose emails and texts; and order products from Amazon, it said. The report is based on interviews with 1,012 members of GfK’s KnowledgePanel, including 108 DHA owners, during February and March.