China's smart assistant devices market to grow fast: report

BEIJING - China's installed base of smart assistant devices are expected to reach 5.8 billion by 2023, an industrial forecast showed.

Devices for the home such as air conditioners, door locks, TVs and refrigerators, which will be able to be operated by a smart assistant via the network, will reach 3.6 billion in 2023, according to the latest report on China's Internet of Things (IOT) market by global technology market analyst firm Canalys.

The rise of smart assistants built-in to speakers catalyzed the growth of smart home devices that can be controlled via voice.

The installed base of devices with smart assistants built-in will reach 2.2 billion units in China with a compound annual growth rate of 42 percent between 2018 and 2023, the report showed.

Canalys predicts that every Chinese household will own an average of seven smart assistant-compatible home devices by 2023.

"The large appliance category, which includes refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners, is expected to contribute the biggest growth," said Canalys Research Analyst Cynthia Chen.

The smartphone will continue to be the main device category for smart assistants in 2023.

Over the next few years, the increasing awareness of saving energy and creating a healthier living environment will also be important for the Chinese IoT market, according to the report.