1、 The State of Play Report 2019 A global look at the key drivers of consumer audio use cases and purchasing decisions Whats inside Executive summary 3 Research methodology 4 Key takeaways 5 Global insights for consumer audio spending 6 Evolving attitudes on security and privacy 10 Wireless headphones

2、, earbuds, and hearables 11 Smart speakers 20 *All percentages, consumer behaviours and attitudes stated in this report are based only on the responses of the individuals who participated in our survey.3 Executive summary Global consumer expectations and purchase drivers in 2019 Thousands of consume

3、rs across six major global markets agree: this is the age where long battery life, on-device gaming, and Voice UI underpinned by a long-standing desire for superior sound quality are shaping the way people want to enjoy and interact with their audio devices. Rich, clear audio quality is so compellin

4、g that its been the number one feature audio consumers desire for four consecutive years. The 2019 State of Play report reveals an unprecedented evolution across both headphone and speaker segments. Now at a tipping point in the shift from wired to wireless overall, the audio world is undergoing an

5、accelerated evolution toward the ultimate freedom offered by truly wireless earbuds. Uptake of Voice UI and cloud-based assistants has exploded, with new features and use cases emerging. Demand for sound quality and battery life remains as strong as ever. Smart speakers are poised for rapid growth a

6、nd diversification, which will likely disrupt and drive the evolution of the wireless speaker category overall. These shifts are opening a wealth of opportunities for audio ecosystem players to capitalize on emerging use cases and new possibilities to shape a better audio future, with greater conven

7、ience, personalization, choice, and life-enriching features. This fourth annual State of Play report is a comprehensive study conducted in May 2019 that polled 6,000 smartphone users aged 16 to 64. Markets included the U.S., UK, China and, for the first time, Japan, India, and Germany, providing a b

8、road global view of current attitudes and purchase drivers in consumer audio. US CN UK DE JP IN *All percentages, consumer behaviours and attitudes stated in this report are based only on the responses of the individuals who participated in our survey.4 Research methodology Markets North America, Un

9、ited Kingdom, China, Japan, India, and Germany Smartphone users 18-64 years old Sample size per country 1,000 Research conducted May 2019 5*All percentages, consumer behaviours and attitudes stated in this report are based only on the responses of the individuals who participated in our survey. Key

10、takeaways Sound Quality Matters Sound quality is the number one purchase driver across all consumer audio product categories for the fourth consecutive year. Of those surveyed, 66% believe the sound quality of wireless headphones and speakers is equal to or better than wired alternatives. Longer Bat

11、tery Life Consumers now care almost as much about long battery life as they do about sound quality. This highlights expectations for greater portability, longer playback hours, and shifting attitudes for wireless over wired devices. On-Device Gaming On-device gaming is fast-growing and widely popula

12、r around the world. This means low-latency streaming and advanced connectivity will likely become more important product differentiators. Truly Wireless Truly wireless earbuds have taken off. The future of this exciting and rapidly growing space may see innovations emerge, such as context awareness

13、and live language translation, to help augment and improve users lives. Voice UI Voice UI is growing fast, despite increased security and privacy concerns. On-device security and privacy features could be critical for next-gen smart audio products. *All percentages, consumer behaviours and attitudes

14、 stated in this report are based only on the responses of the individuals who participated in our survey.6 Global insights for consumer audio spending Brand trust and feature spec are the top factors driving spending for audio consumers worldwide. Ease-of-use is most important to Japanese consumers.

15、 Brand matters most in India. High-end features rank top of the list for purchase drivers in Germany. Style or fashion is the least important buying factor for audio consumers. Always willing to pay more for a brand I trust Always willing to pay more for top-of-the-range technologies Always willing

16、to pay more for a stylish, fashionable device Willing to pay more for devices that are easy to use Always willing to pay more for convenience when buying a device Always buy the lowest- priced model available Attitude to price when making consumer audio purchases US 35% US 26% US 7% US 16%US 7% US 1

17、1% UK 31% UK 27% UK 9% UK 16%UK 8% UK 9% DE 19% DE 34% DE 10% DE 14%DE 8% DE 16% JP 19% JP 13% JP 6% JP 12% JP 9% JP 41% CN 28% CN 8% CN 18%CN 10% CN 5% CN 31% IN 49% IN 29% IN 7% IN 9% IN 5% IN 2% 7 *All percentages, consumer behaviours and attitudes stated in this report are based only on the resp

18、onses of the individuals who participated in our survey. The significance of sound quality believe the sound quality of wireless headphones and speakers is equal to or better than wired alternatives. of headphone shoppers say high resolution audio quality is important. of smart speaker shoppers said

19、 sound quality is most important to their purchase decision. of soundbar and home theater shoppers say superior sound quality matters, and 57% look for immersive surround sound capabilities. Sound quality is a top-ranking purchase driver for 65% of consumers 66% 63% 64% 78% Demand for longer battery

20、 life % for whom battery life is a top purchase driver 61% 2019 47% 2018 39% 2017 *All percentages, consumer behaviours and attitudes stated in this report are based only on the responses of the individuals who participated in our survey.8 The power of brand Brand loyalty is a major factor in buying

21、 decisions across all audio devices, but many consumers are willing to shop around to get the features they most desire. For those consumers who are most brand loyal, support for advanced features and superior audio quality could help drive upsell. Only buy from one brand Buy from a few trusted bran

22、ds Buy from any established brands Open to any brands 11% 56% 13% 20% Importance in purchasing next soundbar/home theater system Ofers superior sound quality Price Stream music/audio smoothly to other audio devices without any lags Connects surround sound speaker(s) wirelessly Can network with other

23、 speakers at home Has smart features, such as voice assistance Can support suround sound such as DTS Virtual:X or Dolby Atmos Brand Can control other devices in home such as lights, curtains, or thermostat 61% 59% 48% 42% 38% 37% 36% 35% 29% *All percentages, consumer behaviours and attitudes stated

24、 in this report are based only on the responses of the individuals who participated in our survey.9 Adoption Rate Global audio shopping preferences China India Indicate strong positive attitudes toward features and technologies Willing to spend more than other countries Indian consumers seek maximum

25、 value when making purchase choices China stands out for Thinking highly of Chinese brands Expecting the longest battery life for speakers Wanting to play loud audio without distortion US UK Germany Show similar interest and preferences for features and technologies Present similar usage and purchas

26、e behavior Are more open to new brands New and smaller brands might consider starting from these countries first Japan Have the longest product replacement cycles Are more brand loyal 16% purchase from only one brand Are more conservative in adopting new features and technologies *All percentages, c

27、onsumer behaviours and attitudes stated in this report are based only on the responses of the individuals who participated in our survey.10 Evolving attitudes on security and privacy In 2019, security and privacy concerns have overtaken poor sound quality as the top barrier for smart speaker purchas

28、es. Privacy concerns are highest in China and India, and lowest in Japan. This indicates that on-device security and privacy features will be critical for next-generation smart audio products. Many consumers (29%) are now “extremely concerned” about privacy when using a voice assistant. US 69% UK 66

29、% DE 65% JP 43% CN 84% IN 84% US 66% UK 66% DE 63% JP 51% CN 85% IN 82% US 66% UK 65% DE 50% JP 36% IN 82% Privacy when using a voice assistant Smart devices could be hacked Listening/recording conversation Reason for concern around using voice CN 80% Interest in security and privacy related feature

30、s is on the rise: 68%56%58% Security but 15% of consumers say theyre not at all interested, suggesting there could be a small portion of non-adopters in this space. Voice assistant supported on smart speaker Microsof Cortana Google Assistant Amazon Alexa Voice Service Baidu - DuerOS Xiaomi - Xiao AI

31、 Tencent - Xiaowei JD.com - JD connect Vivo - Jovi Alibaba -AliGeni Samsung - Bixby Voice assistant provided by my speaker brand US 55% UK 62% DE 57% JP 32% CN 19% IN 37% US 38% UK 34% DE 30% JP 39% CN 22% IN 58% US 15% UK 14% DE 30% JP 7% CN 17% IN 33% US 15% UK 10% DE 14% JP 30% CN 26% IN 27% US 1

32、5% UK 12% DE 15% JP 13% CN 14% IN 33% CN 51% IN 24% CN 35% IN 18% CN 29% IN 19% CN 26% IN 18% CN 20% IN 21% CN 25% IN 14% Life with voice assistants *All percentages, consumer behaviours and attitudes stated in this report are based only on the responses of the individuals who participated in our su

33、rvey.26 consumers spend the most on truly wireless earbuds. 44% of US and UK consumers will pay over $75 for a pair of truly wireless earbuds, compared to 25% in Japan and China, and only 8% in India. US & UKUS & UK Spending on smart speakers Sound quality is more important than price for smart spea

34、ker shoppers. While rarely a key feature of early smart speakers, 64% of shoppers overall said sound quality is important to their purchase decision. 54% said price mattered. Most important criteria when choosing a wireless speaker Sound quality Price Portability - Battery life Long standby hours on

35、 battery Able to play at loud volume without distortion Portability - Size Portability - Connectivity Design/look of speaker Support for high resolution audio Brand of the device Able to connect with other speakers at home Energy efciency/low power consumption when plugged in Voice assistant capabil

36、ities Multi-room networking Voice interface Able to use voice control when unplugged Visual display/screen US 66% UK 68% DE 64% JP 53% CN 63% IN 74% US 29% UK 29% DE 21% JP 17% CN 36% IN 51% US 20% UK 19% DE 15% JP 11% CN 28% IN 45% US 15% UK 15% DE 8% JP 9% CN 27% IN 31% US 15% UK 13% DE 9% JP 7% C

37、N 20% IN 30% US 12% UK 12% DE 9% JP 9% CN 19% IN 29% US 20% UK 21% DE 17% JP 7% CN 31% IN 32% US 27% UK 35% DE 25% JP 26% CN 27% IN 43% US 27% UK 24% DE 18% JP 12% CN 44% IN 48% US 27% UK 24% DE 17% JP 10% CN 28% IN 50% US 22% UK 21% DE 22% JP 15% CN 32% IN 42% US 23% UK 24% DE 24% JP 9% CN 28% IN 4

38、0% US 63% UK 57% DE 53% JP 52% CN 48% IN 54% US 46% UK 42% DE 33% JP 33% CN 44% IN 58% US 36% UK 35% DE 29% JP 34% CN 47% IN 52% US 34% UK 31% DE 26% JP 23% CN 50% IN 44% US 33% UK 34% DE 23% JP 19% CN 32% IN 50% 27*All percentages, consumer behaviours and attitudes stated in this report are based o

39、nly on the responses of the individuals who participated in our survey. Poor sound quality and insufficient battery life are among the top barriers to smart speaker purchase. Spending on smart speakers Support for a voice assistant was rated less important to shoppers than sound quality, battery lif

40、e, high-volume playback, and even design. This indicates that Voice is increasingly perceived as a “default” smart speaker capability. 78% of consumers are willing to pay more for a smart or wireless speaker that supports their desired features. 78% 22% Willing to pay more for desired features Not w

41、illing to pay more for desired features Issues that would prevent a smart speaker purchase Security concerns Privacy concerns Not good value for money Battery life is not sufcient for use on-the-go Overall sound quality not good enough Need to repeat my comments multiple times Doesnt detect my voice

42、/accent/kids voices reliably Responses/actions are not accurate Need to raise my voice or speak slowly Voice interface doesnt perform well Regular speakers are good enough Voice commands take to long to process Too complicated to set up with my Wi-Fi router Make erratic/ random sound Not knowledeabl

43、e enough to select the right one My friends/family have poor experience 30% 28% 28% 28% 25% 25% 23% 22% 21% 21% 18% 18% 18% 17% 14% 14% of users expect their portable / wireless speaker to be able to play music at a very loud volume without distortion or loss of audio quality. 67% - the ability to s

44、tream audio smoothly to other audio devices without any lags is important to over two-thirds of soundbar shoppers. 43% - nearly half of smart speaker owners say they stream music from their smart speaker to other connected speakers around their home. Low latency Low latency 28*All percentages, consu

45、mer behaviours and attitudes stated in this report are based only on the responses of the individuals who participated in our survey. Spending on smart speakers Those aged 55 to 64 are 10% more likely to purchase a speaker from any brand (even one theyve never heard of) than those aged 18 to 24. Con

46、sumer approach to purchasing new devices Only buy from one trusted brand Buy from a few trusted brands Buy from any established brands Open to any brands, even if I have never heard of them 18-24 56% 25-34 56% 35-44 55% 45-54 55% 55-64 56% 18-24 14% 25-34 14% 35-44 10% 45-54 7% 55-64 6% 18-24 14% 25

47、-34 12% 35-44 15% 45-54 14% 55-64 12% 18-24 16% 25-34 17% 35-44 20% 45-54 24% 55-64 5% Follow us on: For more information, visit us at: & Nothing in these materials is an offer to sell any of the components or devices referenced herein. 2018-2019 Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its affiliated companies. All Rights Reserved. Qualcomm is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Other products and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.