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Apple was late to the burgeoning smart speaker space when it launched the HomePod in early February, following a delay that caused it to miss the big holiday season.

Then, to make matters worse, sales out of the gate were sluggish, due in part to its $349 price, which is significantly higher than the competition.

Six months later, sales of HomePod might be turning the corner.

New research from Chicago-based Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) shows that Apple sold 50 million HomePods in the U.S. as of early August, capturing a 6 percent share in a market dominated by Amazon Echo with a 70 percent share and Google Home with a 24 percent share. CIRP’s Josh Lowitz called Apple’s slice of the smart speaker pie a “small but meaningful share” but noted that it’s “not clear how much further Apple can establish itself in the market without a more competitive model.”

CIRP data shows that that about a third of Echo (34 percent) and Google Home (31 percent) users own more than one smart speaker, and in some cases three or four units. There’s not enough data yet to tell how many HomePod users own more than one speaker.

CIRP findings are based on a U.S. survey of 500 owners of the Echo, Google Home, and HomePod conducted July 1-18, 2018

Meanwhile, Apple is taking a different approach in its latest HomePod ad. A forlorn looking woman exits a crowded subway and makes her way home in the pouring rain after a hard (bad?) day at work. She walks through the door of her apartment she says, “Hey Siri, play me something I’d like,” pours herself a drink, and sinks into the couch. Then, out of left field, comes a surprise twist in the long version of the Spike Jonze-produced spot (below).

Related:

Make Room for HomePod: 15 Minutes with Apple’s Phil Schiller

Apple HomePod Wireless Smart Speaker Review