People use the connected devices they own, such as smart home appliances and wearables, as singular technologies, rather than as part of an ecosystem of networked devices.
Connected devices are how people will experience the Internet of Things (IoT) – but only once they start using them to their full capability.
Currently, people own and use connected devices but not to their fullest “connected” potential. Instead, people often use connected devices as isolated, singular technologies, though they still benefit from them.
Over time, experts predict that these devices will become easier to connect and more convenient to use, which will help people experience the benefits of Internet of Things (IoT).
A Clutch survey of 503 people found that smart home appliances are the connected devices people own and use the most. Two-thirds of people (67%) own a smart home appliance, and 49% use smart home appliances the most compared to other connected devices.
More than one-third of people (35%) own a wearable device, and 27% own standalone, automated digital assistants.
Over half of people (53%) do not plan to invest in a connected device over the next 12 months.
A majority of people (64%) say they can accomplish their day-to-day activities without their connected devices, compared to 36% who depend on their connected devices to live their everyday lives.
Access to important information (39%) is the primary benefit of using a connected device; and nearly two-thirds of people (64%) use their connected devices at least once a day.
Only 40% of people are certain that their personal data is shared across multiple devices.
Connecting to networks (19%) is the most common challenge people experience with their connected devices. One-third (33%) experience no issues with their connected devices.
Generally, people don’t feel they need their connected devices. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say they can accomplish their day-to-day activities without their connected devices.
One reason why 64% of people say they can live without their connected device is that they don’t connect their IoT devices to each other. People who own a connected device understand they can sync them to existing technologies such as their smartphones and personal computers, but they don’t connect their wearables to their smart home appliances or digital assistants.
Only 9% of people access the same applications on multiple connected devices. People sync their connected devices primarily to their smartphones (79%), personal computers or laptops (40%), or tablets (28%).
Over time, connected devices are expected to become a normal part of people’s everyday lives. Already, 64% of people use their connected devices at least once a day, and over one-third of people (36%) say they need their connected devices to live their everyday lives.
Today, people use their connected devices as tools to access and share important information about their health, home, finances, and news. Nearly 40% of people say easy access to important information is the primary benefit of using connected devices.
Read the full survey here.