Apple gains a foothold in the smart speaker market: A Foolish Take

According to a recent survey, shopping by voice is expected to grow from $2 billion to $40 billion in the next four years. How far along are smart speakers right now? USA TODAY When Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) launched its HomePod smart speaker earlier this year, many critics claimed that its high price tag of $349 would prevent it from gaining ground against Amazon's(NASDAQ: AMZN) Echo and Alphabet's(NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google Home devices, which cost as little as $50. Apple's Siri also lacked Amazon's Alexa skills and e-commerce backbone, as well as Google's larger ecosystem of search and cloud-based services. Those flaws, it seemed, would limit HomePod's appeal to hardcore Apple loyalists. Despite those headwinds, a recent report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners indicates that Apple has established a foothold in the U.S. smart speaker market, nabbing a 6 percent share.