While these numbers might seem relatively low, they are higher than eMarketer’s estimates for similar activities. We forecast that 10% of US internet users will research a product or add to a shopping cart using a smart speaker in 2018, while 7.2% will make at least one purchase using a voice command. However, our figures are focused on standalone devices, like Google Home, Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod, and exclude smartphones, tablets or desktops/laptops, which accounts for lower usage.
In what might be a wake-up call to brands, a majority (63.3%) of those polled by RichRelevance said they don't trust any of the voice assistants currently on the market to get voice-assisted shopping right, with the most faith put in Google Assistant (13.2%) and Amazon's Alexa (12.1%).
While Google had a slight edge over Amazon in perception, consumer attitudes don't necessarily reflect consumer usage. eMarketer estimates that Amazon Echo will have more US users this year than Google Home (40.7 million vs. 18.0 million), and this will still be the case in 2020, when Amazon Echo's user numbers will reach 46.5 million and Google Home’s will hit 25.2 million. Apple’s HomePod, which falls under the "other" category, is the wild card. Its entry came later than Amazon's or Google's, and the device is priced significantly higher than the competition—$349, compared with starting prices of $50 for the Echo Dot and Home Mini.