Apple HomePod vs Sonos:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sonos had more branded searches than Apple HomePod among smart speaker brands in New Zealand. Sonos had about 5,760 branded searches, while Apple HomePod had 1,720. Sonos made up 29.9% of all smart speaker brand searches we track, and Apple HomePod accounted for 8.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about smart speaker brands, Apple HomePod appeared in all five answers and Sonos in four. Sonos was mentioned before Apple HomePod in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Sonos, about 3 searches for every 1 for Apple HomePod
Who does AI mention more?
Apple HomePod, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Sonos, named ahead of Apple HomePod in 4 of 5 answers
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Top smart speaker brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Apple HomePod appeared in all five answers. Sonos was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Sonos was listed before Apple HomePod in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Sonos1st
Amazon Echo2nd- Apple HomePod3rd
Google Nest4th
Bose–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Amazon Echo5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Apple HomePod5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sonos4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Google Nest3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Bose0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about smart speaker brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which smart speaker brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best smart speaker brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best smart speaker brand in New Zealand for music and voice control?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best smart speaker”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“voice assistant speaker”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is Apple HomePod or Sonos more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Apple HomePod and Sonos by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five smart speaker brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Sonos, Apple HomePod. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Bose | Sonos | Google Nest | Amazon Echo | Apple HomePod |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41% | 23.8% | 16.5% | 11.4% | 7.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 41.1% | 27.4% | 14.2% | 11.3% | 6.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 39.4% | 25.2% | 14.4% | 14.6% | 6.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 37.6% | 25.4% | 17.8% | 11.7% | 7.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.1% | 25% | 18.3% | 12% | 7.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.5% | 29.2% | 16.1% | 10% | 8.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.1% | 28.8% | 16.6% | 10.3% | 7.2% |
| May 2026 | 38.7% | 25.6% | 18.8% | 9.2% | 7.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.8% | 24.1% | 19.5% | 8.4% | 8.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.9% | 26.4% | 14.1% | 9.7% | 8.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 40.8% | 27.9% | 14.7% | 8.7% | 7.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.7% | 29.9% | 11.7% | 9.8% | 8.9% |
How has the Apple HomePod and Sonos comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sonos was ahead of Apple HomePod in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Apple HomePod’s share of searches among smart speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 7.3% to 8.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.5K to 1.7K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sonos’ share of searches among smart speaker brands in New Zealand moved from 23.8% to 29.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.8K to 5.8K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand smart speaker brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Sonos gained share of searches among smart speaker brands in New Zealand, from 27.9% to 29.9%.
In September 2026, Apple HomePod gained share of searches among smart speaker brands in New Zealand, from 7.9% to 8.9%.
How are branded searches counted?
13 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Apple HomePod’s and Sonos’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Apple HomePod
2 branded search terms
- apple homepod
- homepod
Sonos
11 branded search terms
- sonos
- sonos amp
- sonos arc
- sonos five
- sonos move
- sonos one
- sonos play
- sonos port
- sonos ray
- sonos roam
- sonos sub
Other head-to-heads among smart speaker brands
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