Research: Half of Europeans say smart speakers save time
October 25, 2019
European insights from D-Link have revealed developments in who traditionally owns, buys and uses consumer electronics and gadgets the most in the modern smart home – as more than half of women (55 per cent) across Europe say that they take the lead on tech in their families.
The research from D-Link, a specialist in smart home and technology, has also found that using voice enabled smart speakers at home such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomePod, has given millions of people across Europe a new found boost in technology confidence. 67 per cent of women across the continent thank their voice enabled smart speaker for increasing their confidence in technology, as well as that of their families.
D-Link surveyed more than 8,000 people in UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, and found that more than 480,000,000 of Europeans (65 per cent) today own or plan to buy a voice enabled speaker for their home. Of this, it is more than 61 per cent of women in Europe who own or plan to buy a voice enabled speaker in the near future.
D-Link’s study also found that, on average, around half of women across Europe (55 per cent) are the person in their families who will buy and use gadgets the most. Women in Italy were found to be the most tech-savvy in their households, as more than around 62 per cent say they buy and use technology the most. They’re followed by those in Germany and Spain (59 per cent), France (54 per cent) and 37 per cent of women in the UK.
As well as building technology confidence, an overwhelming three quarters (72 per cent) of people across Europe say that their voice enabled smart speaker has benefited their lives in some way – including 70 per cent of women across the continent.
Half of Europeans collectively (50 per cent) thank voice enabled smart speakers for saving them time, while the same amount (50 per cent) also believe that their device has helped to make everyday tasks easier. Around one third (33 per cent) of Europeans are enjoying a calmer home environment, claiming that their Amazon Alexa, Google Home Assistant or Apple Homepod have made certain situations less stressful.
When exploring the most common uses for voice activated smart speakers, D-Link found that a majority of Europeans (71 per cent) mostly use their devices to listen to music, the radio or podcasts. This is followed by checking the weather (57 per cent), as an alarm clock or timer (52 per cent), to catch up on the latest news and current affairs (52 per cent) and asking funny questions (41 per cent).
Of this, the research discovered that more than two-in-five people across Europe (42 per cent) use their voice enabled smart speaker in collaboration with other smart home devices, such as smart plugs, routers, home security cameras and leak detection devices.
Commenting on the research, Kevin Wen, President of D-Link Europe: “From these findings, it is interesting to see the impact that accessible technology and consumer electronics have on the modern home. From smart devices that make homes safer and more secure, to technology that enables control over our home from wherever we are, through to devices we can power using our voice, more accessible technology is really changing the dynamics of the home – and beyond – for the better.”