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In the age of smart technology, smart audio has made a significant entrance, but it also faced challenges and was quickly overshadowed. The smart speaker industry is like a vast river with many tributaries, each player having its own strategy. To survive, every major player must find their unique way to thrive, or risk being left behind in this competitive landscape.
[Image: A smart speaker placed on a table, surrounded by other smart home devices.]
Smart speakers are opening new doors for smart homes. In 2017, apart from shared bikes, smart speakers became another hot topic. Notably, most players in this race were big tech platforms, including Amazon, Google, and in China, Baidu, Alibaba, and others.
The Internet of Things (IoT), especially smart homes, is gaining momentum. Two years ago, many believed that all smart home products should revolve around smartphones. Manufacturers tried to integrate more functions into mobile devices, using them as remote controls for lights, curtains, air conditioners, even as car keys. While this vision seemed promising, the emergence of Amazon’s Echo changed everything.
Voice interaction proved to be the most natural way to control a smart home, and the rise of artificial intelligence greatly supported smart speakers. Another shift brought by this evolution is the change in user interaction. Once the living room moved beyond visual requirements, hands-free operation became essential. Speech, before voice control became widespread, was the most suitable form of communication.
According to reports, China has taken the lead in technological innovation in recent years, with many companies achieving remarkable success. However, in the global market where Amazon Echo and Google Home dominate, Chinese tech giants have been relatively quiet.
Why haven’t smart speakers taken off in China? One main reason is the lack of compelling products. In this trend, Chinese manufacturers have been slow to act, while American companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook have all invested heavily in AI voice assistants. Their goal is to become central to people's digital lives. During Amazon Prime Day, Echo speakers were among the top-selling items.
Yu Kai, founder of Baidu Deep Learning Labs, believes that Chinese users don't need smart speakers for deeper reasons. Many Chinese people, especially younger generations, are busy with work and spend limited time at home, where smart speakers are primarily used.
Xiaomi recently held an IoT conference and announced itself as the world’s largest IoT platform. Its smart speaker, Xiaoai, benefits from the integration of the Mi ecosystem, attracting early adopters. However, for other smart speaker products, simple voice interaction combined with music features may be all they offer.
Two years after entering the IoT space, smart speakers have redefined their role as entry points. This time, they come with advanced voice human-computer interaction technology, which enhances the smart home experience. Voice interaction is crucial for seamless IoT integration. Yet, beyond the tech angle, many view smart speakers as traffic entrances—a concept that is somewhat misleading, as any entry point can eventually become a major hub.
History repeats itself, and though we can’t predict exactly which door smart homes will open, the evolution of human-computer interaction continues to focus on efficiency and cost. Our path forward may involve fewer detours.
In conclusion, smart speakers are indeed opening new opportunities, but for most players, the goal is simply to occupy a key position and ride the wave of investment. The so-called competition for IoT access and smart home control still falls within the category of smart routers and cameras, often serving as an excuse for blind expansion.