Google Assistant Has 51% Virtual Assistant Market Share on Smartphones According to Strategy Analytics
Strategy Analytics is forecasting that over half of all smartphones will have access to virtual assistants in 2019 and the figure will climb to 90% by 2023. The finding is included in a new report on Smartphones and Global Artificial Intelligence. Also included is an estimated virtual assistant market share on smartphones. Google leads with 51% followed by Apple at 31%, Baidu with 17% and Samsung 10%.
This is not a one-to-one match of global smartphone market share where Android commands about 85% share. The lower percentage of Android reflects the fact that Google Assistant is not currently available on all Android OS smartphones. As devices are replaced by consumers that number is very likely to grow and Apple could revert to its global market share which is below 15%. And, Baidu’s DuerOS is relatively new but is making rapid progress in China. Given this situation it is not surprising that Ville-Petteri Ukonaho, Strategy Analytics senior analyst, notes that
The fastest rising assistant comes from China where Baidu Duer is taking share and will capture second place within next few years.
Samsung Assets Supporting Bixby
It is also notable that Samsung has 10% share. As a perennial top two market share smartphone maker, Samsung has built-in distribution for its virtual assistant Bixby. This distribution is one reason why we are going to see Bixby 2.0 and a smart speaker from Samsung next month. Bixby may still have a long road ahead before seriously narrowing the gap with Google Assistant, but its presence in smartphones, televisions and household appliances offer it advantages in building consumer awareness, trial and loyalty.
Alexa is Playing from Behind
One prominent virtual assistant that falls in that 0.1% market share “other” category is Amazon’s Alexa. Smartphone presence is a key gap in the company’s voice assistant strategy. It is true that Alexa is available through iOS and Android mobile apps, but that enables consumers to interact with Alexa skills and not control the mobile device which limits its functionality compared to natively installed virtual assistants. That fact and its lack of a smartphone OS will make it difficult for Amazon to compete with Google Assistant and Apple Siri on smartphones.
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