Home security is a priority for home owners investing in Smart Home technology, research suggests. If money were no object, about one in three (37pc) of UK residents would invest in a smart security system for their home. This beats products such as virtual digital assistants, which only one in eight of the population would buy (12pc), robot lawnmowers (18pc) and remote controlled heating for the whole house (29pc).
Of the 2,000 respondents to the survey, provided by OnePoll and commissioned by the online electrical retailer AO.com, two-thirds or 68pc see positive factors in owning smart technology such as ‘convenience’ and ‘saving time’. Those 18-24 year olds believe that this form of technology could benefit the elderly, while 25-34 and 45-54 year olds think that a ‘Smart Home’ would help save money in the long run.
Some 39pc of respondents said they own a smart TV and a further 15pc say they will buy one in the next 12 months, with 75pc believing they will have a smart TV. And 38pc of 18-24 years olds that don’t own a smart TV said they don’t feel the need to buy one, as they already own a plug in or accessory to make a standard TV smart.
Viewing habits are also changing, as 32pc of the nation don’t frequently consume live TV and instead opt for on demand services, subscriptions or streaming, which increases the demand for smart TVs or accessories. One in 20, 5pc of the population now watch TV while commuting, a figure rising to 11pc in London.
Top smart products
The most desired ‘Smart Home’ products shows that while we’re not quite ready for robot vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers, we are more happy to embrace smart products such as laptops, tablets and smart TVs.
•Laptop (17pc)
•Tablet (17pc)
•Smart TV/4K/OLED (15pc)
•Smart TV accessory (11pc)
•Turn on heating remotely (9pc)
•Virtual digital assistant (5pc)
Over one in three aged below 35 could not cope without access to their phone, laptop or tablet for more than 3 hours, with the majority of this age group not being able to last 8 hours. 29pc of 18 to 24 year olds would rather leave the house with their mobile phone than their spouse, children or money.
Comment
Andrew Kirkcaldy, Group Brand Director at AO.com said: “The research suggests that the Smart Home revolution has already started with Smart TVs and audio, and we haven’t even noticed it. For many homes, smart home security and heating will take this technology out of the living room, leading to a Smart Home that will help save us money and time, while making our lives easier.”
Read the full AO Smart Living Census Report: http://ao.com/life/smart-home-technology/.
