According to the latest data from analyst firm Strategy Analytics, Apple Smart Speaker HomePod shipped 1.6 million units in the fourth quarter of 2018, up 45% year-on-year. Despite the increase, the company estimates that Apple's share of the global smart speaker market is only 4.1%.
In contrast, Amazon and Google shipped 13.7 million and 11.5 million smart speakers in the fourth quarter of 2018, respectively, and the two companies achieved a market share of 65.5% during the quarter.
HomePod is priced at $349, much higher than Amazon Echo and Google Home. In particular, the smaller Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini are priced at only $25 during the holiday shopping season.
Last month, Josh Lowitz, co-founder of another analyst firm, CIRP, said that Amazon and Google have smart speaker products at different price points, while Apple HomePod has only one version. Apple may only be launching a product close to Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini. An entry-level product can gain a significant market share.
To increase sales, many dealers sell HomePod for $249 during the holiday season, and $279 is also a common price. Second, many reviewers have found that HomePod is less intelligent because Siri has some shortcomings compared to Amazon and Google's voice assistants. However, Apple recently reorganized the Siri team to further improve Siri.
The third reason HomePod has a low market share is its availability. Apple launched HomePod two to three years later than its competitors, and its sales are still limited to the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico, China and Hong Kong, while Amazon and Google’s smart speakers The sales range is larger.

Last year, analyst Guo Mingxi said that Apple is considering launching a low-priced version of HomePod, probably because HomePod's shipments are far below market expectations. The device is likely to end up being a Beats speaker that supports Siri.