Smart home tech ‘has more impact on lives than wearables’

The GfK study, which covered seven countries, asked consumers to identify which of 11 technologies — including 3D printing, virtual reality and Internet of Things — they believed would have an impact on their lives in the next few years. People were allowed to choose as many technologies as they wished.

54% of people chose mobile payments as having an impact, while 51% chose smart home technology and 33% selected wearables.

Particular areas of interest in smart home technology were ‘security and control’ ( 55%), ‘energy or lighting’ ( 53%), and ‘entertainment and connectivity’ ( 48%). The biggest barrier to acquiring smart home products was seen to be price, chosen by over a third of people.

The study was conducted online with 7,000 people aged 16+ in Brazil, USA, UK, Germany, South Korea, China and Japan.