A recent update on Amazon’s developer portal shows that the number of Alexa devices has grown significantly in just one year. An change in phrasing clarifies a drastic jump from 12,000 to 60,000 official Alexa devices. While many of these devices are likely to do the same thing, it makes for a competitive market that provides customers with several options to choose from.
Alexa dominates the market
While it’s impressive that Alexa supports 60,000 devices, the fact that is perhaps more astounding is how much it has grown over the last year. Sitting at around 12,000 roughly a year ago, the number of supported devices is growing faster than ever.
This massive increase shows how important Alexa is to Amazon. Such a boost in Alexa devices suggests that Amazon’s investment in a large workforce dedicated to working the assistant are paying off, especially when compared to Google Assistant’s performance.
Google’s latest figures surrounding devices with support for its Assistant suggest somewhere around 10,000 devices. Giving Amazon a huge lead that Google, Apple, and other smart home brands will have a hard time catching up to.
Amazon’s developer portal now states, “There are currently more than 60,000 smart home devices that can be controlled with Alexa, from more than 7,400 unique brands. Customers have already connected tens of millions of smart home products to Alexa.”
While at first it may seem that having a large number of devices is a fantastic thing, it doesn’t come without potential drawbacks. One of the most obvious relating to how useful some of the products actually are. Some can be great, others can be questionable.
Another potential downside is a flooded market that overwhelms customers and keeps them from pulling the trigger. Amazon has went to great lengths to offer generous return timeframes, but that doesn’t save customers from the potential fatigue of trying several devices before finding the right fit.
9to5Toys’ Take
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Alexa. I’ve went from having a few HomeKit devices here and there to an entire home filled with smart lights, plugs, universal remotes, and more. I’ve done all of this while keeping budget in check and absolutely love the simplicity that Alexa has brought to my space.
As an Alexa enthusiast, I find the amount of attention that Amazon is giving its voice assistant’s ecosystem to be very encouraging. Many tech companies have the tendency to try something out and quickly become distracted by other projects. With such growth in Alexa devices, it appears that Amazon is nowhere near pumping the brakes on the growth of its voice assistant.
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