Amazon is finishing off the year strong, selling "tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices." The Amazon Alexa app tops the U.S. Android and iOS app stores, suggesting it did better than its competitors over the past month.
Can Google and Apple catch up in the home assistant market? Sascha Segan, Lead Analyst at PCMag.com, thinks it could be tough. Segan says that the Alexa network is far more integrated than its competitors. Amazon's cheapest home assistant, the Echo Dot, is currently sold out. It was the first home assistant to sell for $30, putting pressure on Google to lower the price of its cheapest option to match Amazon.
Segan also takes a look at the rumors surrounding Apple and Samsung's flagship phones. Reports are circulating that sales of the iPhone X were lower over the holiday season than expected. Couple that with rumors that Samsung could launch the Galaxy S9 sooner than expected, and you could have a battle brewing in the mobile phone market.
As inflation-weary consumers cut back on dining out, brands like McDonald’s are relying more heavily on celebrity and influencer endorsements to move the needle
Plus, Starbucks reported its first quarter of declining sales and earnings since the pandemic, Biden tries to tackle the national debt and Warren Buffett is set to host the annual meeting of his investment firm Berkshire Hathaway.
