44% of people in the UK have changed their view and use of technology because of the pandemic

A study by Toluna, a tech company operating in the market research space, about consumer technology usage in the UK. The study surveyed 1,044 people in the UK.

KEY FINDINGS

The Covid-19 pandemic has forever changed how we view and use technology in the UK.

Technology usage for health and fitness and the smart home has hugely increased with 46% of people now using a lot more technology to keep fit and well. 40% of respondents are investing in smarter technology innovations in the home too.

In terms of typical technology we now use, the research found that:

52% of people in the UK own a smart TV
33% of people in the UK use voice recognition technology (such as Apple Siri, Amazon Echo, Google Home)
26% of those surveyed own a smartwatch
23% of respondents own a wearable tech device to measure physical and health activity
13% own a virtual reality or augmented reality headset
12% are using 5G technology

Smart technology is a popular choice for UK consumers and features strongly in consumer shopping plans in the next 6 months:

25% of respondents plan to buy a smart TV
19% of those surveyed will buy a smartwatch
19% of people will purchase connected lights
17% of people will buy connected heaters
16% of respondents will invest in 5G technology
And 9% are even planning to experience a smart robot or humanoid

The smart home is a particular focus for us, with people planning to make the following purchases on smart home technology in the next 6 months:

Smart technology bulbs – 36%
Home security (e.g Ring, SimpliSafe, Nest) – 35%
Connected home devices (e.g Nest, Ecobee) – 29%
Connected appliances (e.g smart refrigerator, washing machine) – 26%
Connected home fitness (e.g Peloton) – 23%

An overwhelming majority (66%) believe retailers should invest in and be using smart technology to better meet consumer’s needs with:

48% of those surveyed said that retailers should use smart or foldable displays
43% said they should be using wearable technology devices
42% of respondents believed speech recognition / voice search should be used in retailing environments
41% believe retailers should implement facial technology

When it comes to their employers though, 60% of people in the UK do not think they’re up to speed with the latest developments in smart technology. When asked why:

Over a third of people (36%) said it’s because their company or organisation has simply not adopted smart technology capabilities
28% of those surveyed said that the technology and IT equipment is outdated
16% of workers in fact use their own technology at work to help them do their job (BYOD)

We’re also intrigued by, and keen to use, virtual technology: