The HomePod mini is helping Apple to gain market share in the competitive smart speaker market, though the company still lags behind its rivals in the space.
HomePod mini packaging
Apple shipped an estimated 4 million smart speaker units in the third quarter of 2021, representing 10.2% of the market, according to new data from Strategy Analytics. That's nearly double Apple's 5.9% share of the market in Q3 2020.
Amazon came in first in the smart speaker market with a 26.4% share, while Google came in third with 20.5%. Baidu and Alibaba ranked third and fourth, with Apple coming in fifth in the global rankings.
The HomePod mini itself was one of the top-selling smart speakers in Q3 2021, however. It ranked second behind the Google Nest Mini but ahead of the fourth-generation Amazon Echo Dot, Strategy Analytics said.
Apple launched the HomePod mini in October 2020 as a cheaper alternative to its then-flagship HomePod. In March, Apple discontinued the full-sized HomePod device. Earlier in 2021, Apple added new colors to the lineup.
Unlike its smart home competitors, Apple only has a single smart speaker product -- and it doesn't have any with a screen. That could change in the future, with some rumors indicating that Apple is working on an Apple TV device that sport a built-in camera and HomePod speaker, as well as a smart speaker with its own touchscreen display.