According to app downloads, Amazon beat out its rivals over the holidays. As of writing, the Amazon Alexa app was the most popular app on both iOS and Android's Google Play. On Android, the Google Home app did make its way to second place--so it would look like the Google Home was a popular gift, too. But on iOS, Google's companion app didn't even crack the top 10 most popular apps. While Amazon's devices were a cross-platform favorite, those already embedded in the Google ecosystem were more likely to invest in its smart home speaker products. This is likely what we can expect when Apple comes out with its own Amazon Echo competitor, the HomePod, in early 2018.

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence IoT Briefing subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here. Smart-home voice assistants help to organize connected homes and provide great utility to consumers, allowing them to control devices, look up information, communicate with friends and family, and buy goods or request services. This provides a lucrative opportunity for companies to gain users and bring them into their larger ecosystems. Here's are a couple of the moves companies made to start or expand their presence in the smart home voice assistant market: Both companies are looking to the smart home voice assistant as a pillar of a growing ecosystem.