Consumer concerns over security of connected devices and certification recommended, says report
TechUK’s sixth edition of its ‘State of the Connected Home’ report has been published. It surveys a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults across the UK to ask about their awareness, interest, and ownership of a range of connected or ‘smart’ home products.
Some key findings include:
The market is seeing increased product diversification and consumers have greater interest and confidence in purchasing devices beyond the entertainment domain.
The UK market was worth approximately £4.78 billion in 2021-2, an increase on the previous year despite fewer devices being sold.
Robust sales of smart TVs are a key contributor to both volume and value. Supported by the increasing prevalence of voice recognition in new model ranges, smart TVs account for more than a fifth of market volume (4.4 million units) and nearly half of value (£2.3 billion).
Ownership of smart speakers has increased fivefold in the last five years.
Consumers prioritised ease of use, interoperability, and convenience with interoperability increasingly being cited.
Security concerns was one of the top barriers to adoption/purchase cited by consumers.
The report’s top recommendation was collaboration with industry on industry-led accreditation and certification schemes – specifically citing SafeShark as the go to scheme.