New research from Parks Associates found that more than one in five consumers plan to purchase a voice-controlled smart speaker with a personal assistant in 2017.
Interest in the category is growing along the introduction of new devices and the expansion of others, such as the increasing number of models of Amazon Echo and Google Home devices.
"It's still early days for the voice-first market, but rapid early adoption of products like smart speakers with personal assistants, at 12% of U.S broadband households by year-end 2016, demonstrates the need and demand for a natural and easy-to-use interface," stated Dina Abdelrazik, research analyst, Parks Associates. "Natural language processing for voice technologies happen in the cloud, so real-time updates can be made quickly once consumer realities unfold. Multiple channels, from custom to direct-to-consumer retail, will focus on expanding the voice-enabled UX in 2018."
Google has included a hardware switch on the unit that shuts off both the camera and microphone. "The ability to shut off both the camera and the microphone will appeal to those who have privacy conc...
The addition of multiroom functionality for the HomePod advances Apple's strategy for the product, said Dina Abdelrazik, research analyst at Parks Associates. "Its market entry approach was to intr...
Another reason e-sports has strong growth potential is that, unlike many other sports, whose fans may only be spectators, e-sports attracts video gamers, many of whom could become e-sports competitors...
However, access for consumers likely is years away, according to Brett L. Sappington, senior director of research at Parks Associates, a market research and consulting company in Addison, Texas. "T...
