Recently, according to a research report released by Strategy Analytics smart speakers and screen services, although the new crown epidemic has brought severe challenges to the market, the global sales of smart speakers and smart screen products in 2020 are at a record level, exceeding 150 million units. Among them, in the fourth quarter of 2020, smart screens accounted for 26% of the total smart speaker and screen market, higher than 22% in the same period in 2019.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, the top brands in terms of shipments are Amazon, Google, Baidu, Alibaba, Apple, and Xiaomi. Behind the terminal brands, we see whether it is foreign Amazon, Google, or domestic Baidu and Ali. Baba, Xiaomi, their smart speakers and smart screen products all have MediaTek chips. Why are MediaTek chips used in these products with different functions, designs and market positioning?
As early as 2014, Amazon and Google cooperated with MediaTek to launch Echo and Home series of smart speaker products respectively. By 2016, MediaTek already had an absolute leading market share in this field. Most of the domestic smart speakers began to work in 2017. Alibaba, Xiaomi, and Baidu became the first domestic first-line brands to focus on smart speaker products. Since their initial products, they have also adopted MediaTek chips.
When smart speakers and smart screen products continue to be integrated into our lives, in addition to factors such as brand, appearance, and price, when consumers choose products, chip solutions are also the key that cannot be ignored. At present, there are only two choices in the smart speaker and smart screen chip market: MediaTek and “Other”.
In July 2017, Alibaba’s first smart speaker product, Tmall Genie X1, used MediaTek’s MT8516 chip solution, and Tmall Genie X1 was released as a hot product. The MT8516 chip has also helped other head manufacturers to create hot-selling smart speaker products. MediaTek is actually a witness and an important participant in the development of the smart speaker and screen market.
Last year was a year of rapid growth for smart screen products. The main products of various brands such as Xiaodu Home Smart Screen X8 and Redmi Xiaoai Touch Screen Smart Speaker 8 all adopted MediaTek MT8167A chip, which is a highly integrated platform with built-in quad core Cortex-A35 core, integrated GPU can achieve 3D graphics acceleration enhancement, built-in WLAN and Bluetooth two wireless connection modules, support 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, maximum support 8million pixel camera, the function is very comprehensive. MediaTek MT8167A not only saves the volume of terminal products, but also helps manufacturers speed up R&D efficiency and seize market opportunities.
The core technology of smart speakers and smart screen products is AI, which coincides with MediaTek’s technology deployment direction. MediaTek’s exclusive AI processor MediaTek APU has powerful edge AI computing performance. The design of integrated AI core has been widely used in various types of MediaTek chip products. Excellent edge AI performance can improve voice interaction and object detection. Recognition accuracy and response speed realize a first-class human-computer interaction experience.
