Chinese mainland's smart speaker market to grow 16% in 2020: report

BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland's smart speaker market is expected to grow 16 percent year-on-year in 2020 while the other market grows 3 percent amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest report from global technology market analyst firm Canalys.

The global smart speaker market is expected to emerge stronger in 2021, with markets outside China expected to recover and contribute a larger portion of annual growth. Canalys expects the market to hit 163 million units next year, a growth of 21 percent.

The number of smart speakers installed globally is forecast to reach 640 million by 2024, paving the way for an ambient computing paradigm shift.

"In the future, a customer's listening experience will be increasingly adaptable and driven by artificial intelligence," said Canalys Research Manager Jason Low.