The average U.S. household has 25 connected devices – more than double the 11 that the average household had in 2019, according to a new Deloitte report.
The Deloitte report found that 66% of households have smart home devices; 39% of those smart home device owners paid for increased home internet speed, apparently since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Deloitte defined connected devices to include laptops, tablets and smartphones; video streaming devices and smart TVs; wireless headphones and earbuds; gaming consoles and smart home devices; and fitness trackers and connected exercise machines. Nearly one-third (31%) of respondents in Deloitte’s Connectivity & Mobile Trends 2021 Survey found the number of connected devices to be overwhelming.
Among the more intriguing findings of the connected devices report:
- More than half of U.S. adults had virtual doctor visits, and more than four-in-ten (82%) were satisfied with the experience.
- More than half (58%) of U.S. households have a smartwatch or fitness tracker, and more than a third (39%) of consumers own one personally.
- Seventy percent of consumers started mobile ordering or other smartphone-based retail during the pandemic, and expect to continue doing so.
“The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was like a time machine that suddenly propelled us tens of years into the future,” said Paul Silverglate, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and U.S. technology sector leader, in a prepared statement about the connected devices report. “It has changed how we interact with our connected devices, ultimately helping consumers, health care providers, education professionals, technology innovators and others adapt, innovate and thrive in our daily lives. Our survey showed that the underlying technology for these new behaviors was truly tested and, for the most part, held up under increased connectivity demands. As well as we have adapted, we hit the limits of what our current technology can deliver. We are excited to see how faster connections, better devices, and new apps change how we live, work and play in the future.”
The Deloitte survey confirmed the findings of an earlier industry report on the expected growth of smart home devices.
