Author: Mintel Group Ltd.
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Voice Control: Inc Impact of COVID-19 - UK - May 2020
Overview
 
What you need to know 
Voice control looks set to play an increasingly prominent part in the lives of consumers as growth in the use of devices such as smart speakers, connected wearables and other smart household devices will underscore the use of voice in a diverse range of situations. Despite the negative impact that COVID-19 will have on technology purchasing across the board, people will be spending more time at home, increasing the number of interactions they have with the likes of Alexa and Google Assistant in what is still by far the preferred environment for use of voice. Voice control has the potential to streamline and automate many actions which consumers currently use a manual interface for, which holds promise in the medium-to-longer terms as many consumers adopt a less tactile way of life as a result of the virus.

The use of voice from a commerce perspective is likely to be driven by incremental gains. Smaller-ticket items and services can be a good gateway to the wider shopping experience, and consumers may well use voice as part of search and discovery in tandem with other means. 

Key issues covered in this Report
●	The impact of COVID-19 on purchasing of consumer technology products in general and voice-controlled devices in particular.
●	The ways in which consumers interact with voice controlled devices will change as a result of COVID-19.
●	Launch activity and innovation from companies offering voice controlled devices and services.
●	What has driven the growth in voice to date and how more people can be encouraged to use it in future.

Products covered in this Report
This Report covers the use of voice to control or interact with technology products without the need for a manual interface. This is typically done through digital assistants, like Alexa and Google Assistant, which are capable of understanding and responding to voice commands or queries through natural language processing. The Report examines the use of voice on devices that can be controlled directly by voice (eg voice-controlled speakers, smartphones and computers) as well as those that can be controlled by extension through compatibility with those devices (eg smart lighting or heating). It explores a range of voice-related activities, from simple queries to smart home control and voice commerce.

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