• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechAmazon

Amazon Is Dominating the Voice-Assisted Speaker Market

By
Leena Rao
Leena Rao
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Leena Rao
Leena Rao
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 8, 2017, 6:00 AM ET

Amazon’s early bet on home automation device Echo is paying off.

The e-commerce giant has a 70% share of the emerging voice-controlled speaker market compared to 23.8% for rival Google, research firm eMarketer said on Monday.

Amazon’s huge lead puts it in a strong position in a fast growing business. In addition to making money from selling the devices, Amazon also benefits from Echo users buying more products from the company’s marketplace.

Use of voice-controlled speakers is soaring. An estimated 35.6 million Americans will use one at least once a month in 2017, a 128.9% increase over last year, eMarketer predicts.

Amazon (AMZN) debuted Echo in 2015 as an alternative to using smartphones, tablets, and computers at home. It allows people to use their voice to get answers to questions, turn on lights, order items like diapers, and even request an Uber car pick them up.

Amazon has since incorporated its Alexa voice assistant, which powers the Echo, into its smaller Echo Dot as well as its Fire tablets. Alexa is also being made available to third-party companies like GE Lighting to use in their products.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Google’ is playing catch up to Amazon with its year-old Echo rival, Google Home, and is still trailing. Google’s device is powered by Google Assistant, which can also be used on Android phones.

Lenovo, LG, and other manufacturers have the remaining 5.6% share of the voice speaker market.

But Apple’s (AAPL) reported plans to introduce its own voice speaker could shake things up considerably considering its expertise with consumer devices. The rival device would incorporate Apple’s popular voice assistant, Siri, a standard feature on iPhones.

For more about Alexa, watch:

In addition to the growing rivalry over voice-controlled speakers, companies are battling for users of their voice assistants. Use of virtual assistants will grow 23.1% this year, to the point that nearly one in five Americans will use one at least once a month this year, eMarketer said.

Winning the voice assistant wars is considered critically important. RBC Capital Markets estimates that “mega-hit” Alexa could bring Amazon another $10 billion in sales by 2020.

Like with a lot of new technology, younger users are early adopters. Millennials account will account for nearly 27% of voice assistant users and nearly one-third of users of mobile virtual assistant this year, eMarketer said.

About the Author
By Leena Rao
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

A woman looks frustrated a computer
AIWomen
Women are avoiding the very technology that threatens them most, as expert warns of a ‘two-tiered AI economy’ approaching
By Jacqueline MunisMarch 21, 2026
1 hour ago
AIFinance
Why Block’s COO is tracking ‘gross profit per employee’—and how AI is on track to double it to $2 million
By Sheryl EstradaMarch 21, 2026
2 hours ago
home for sale
AIChatGPT
A man let ChatGPT sell his home. It beat every agent’s estimate by $100K—and closed in 5 days
By Jake AngeloMarch 21, 2026
3 hours ago
LawElon Musk
Musk misled Twitter investors before 2022 buyout, jury says
By Isaiah Poritz, Jef Feeley and BloombergMarch 20, 2026
11 hours ago
bespectacled man scratches the back of his head during congressional hearing
CryptoCryptocurrency
Kalshi locks in $22 billion valuation, gaining slight edge over its rival Polymarket
By Carlos GarciaMarch 20, 2026
13 hours ago
Big TechEntrepreneurs
Mark Cuban reads 1,000 emails a day—now he’s using a Mac Mini to fight the AI-generated flood threatening his clean inbox obsession
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 20, 2026
15 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.