Smart speakers feel like tablets: an initial burst of sales, followed by years of decline as the devices sit in drawers. They're priced right for gifts and impulse buys (especially with the heavy discounts), but they're in practice less useful than they seem, and their actual utility is vulnerable to being eaten by smartphones.
However they will endure as ad-ons. The latest Bose headphones have Google Assistant built in, Sonos soundbars have Alexa, etc. Just like TVs became "smart" (i.e. equipped with ads and analytics) we will see more and more "smart" devices with this stuff integrated. It's a checkmark in the feature list, and a revenue source for the tech titans. Hug your dumb devices tightly!
However they will endure as ad-ons. The latest Bose headphones have Google Assistant built in, Sonos soundbars have Alexa, etc. Just like TVs became "smart" (i.e. equipped with ads and analytics) we will see more and more "smart" devices with this stuff integrated. It's a checkmark in the feature list, and a revenue source for the tech titans. Hug your dumb devices tightly!