Prime Day Gave Amazon a Leg up on Aging Google Home Product Line in Q3, SA Reports

Google smart speaker sales slumped in Q3 due to its “aging product range and lack of a tent pole sales event,” reported Strategy Analytics Tuesday. Google Home shipment growth slowed to 16 percent year on year. SA pointed to a revamped product line and plans for widespread promotional activity in Q4 as a chance for Google to pick up steam. Amazon shipped 10.5 million Echo-branded smart speakers in the quarter. “A well rounded product range," deep discounting and a trade-in program that "incentivizes users to stay in the Amazon ecosystem" helped Amazon climb back to 30 percent share from 22 percent in Q2, said analyst David Watkins. The global smart speaker category grew 55 percent to 34.9 million. Chinese vendors Baidu, Alibaba and Xiaomi saw above average growth, with “intense competition” from Alibaba and Xiaomi, said SA. China had 36 percent of global shipments.