One in four Brits are planning to splash out on smart tech this Black Friday but a third (31%) find it hard to keep their connected tech… connected, according to new research from EE. To help, EE is offering free in-store appointments with its EE Guides on how to choose the right smart devices during the Black Friday sales.
EE research reveals 12.8 million shoppers plan to buy smart tech during Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales, with smartphones (29%) the most popular device, followed by laptops, smartwatches and tablets (all 26%).
While UK homes are getting smarter, with an average of nine devices in a household, connections are not always keeping up in an increasingly wire-free world. An estimated 17 million consumers say they have had a device out of sync, disconnected from other gadgets or apps, this year, with 12 million having at least one gadget unlinked for over a month.
The study reveals patience is closely linked to smart connectivity. A third (33%) of consumers say they lose interest if they cannot hook up a smart gadget within five minutes, while nearly as many (32%) have become angry during the set-up process. Almost one in five (18%) miss out on the connectivity benefits altogether, buying smart tech without ever turning it on.
When it comes to getting smart devices synced up, two in five consumers (40%) tackle the task themselves with instructions, twice as many who attempt set-up without guidance (19%). Meanwhile, more than a third of parents (38%) wait for a visit from their adult children to ask them to sort it out. One in three consumers (31%) confess that Bluetooth pairing leaves them “pushing buttons until something works”, yet only 4% seek advice from a tech expert.
From Bluetooth speakers to watches, UK consumers are increasingly upgrading to smart digital versions of traditional analogue tools and appliances. The study reveals half of adults now have a tablet at home (50%), and one in five (20%) have a smart doorbell, with a typical household having an average of nine connected devices.
for more information visit: ee.co.uk/mobile
EE is part of BT Group’s Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK.
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