HAYWARD, CA – Amazon Echo sold almost 20 million units globally last year, reaching 28 million installed units by the end of 2017, a new report says. Amazon Fire tablets stood at 27 million, and Fire TV at 26 million, adds FutureSource.

Echo sales come mostly from the US, says FutureSource, with 13% of last year’s sales coming from elsewhere. Therefore, Fire tablets outsold Echo speakers globally in 2017 over 4 to 1.

Amazon is striving to create an installed base of voice-activated devices in the home, which could potentially cause Alexa, now standard on Fire TVs and tablets, to become the focal point of home entertainment. Alexa helps control more than 4,000 smart home devices from 1,200 brands, according to FutureSource.

Echo can be integrated into a variety of name-brand smart kitchen appliances.

Meanwhile, some customers are resisting the opportunity to pair their speakers with other devices in the home. FutureSource notes some 38% of non-adopters of smart speakers can’t see a use for smart home devices, with a third citing privacy concerns.

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