New data from a nationwide survey commissioned by digital reading app, Readly underscores a notable leap in the number of Australians integrating smart home devices into their daily lives.
The YouGov survey polled more than 1,000 Australians to discover that 64% of households own at least one smart home device designed to manage everyday tasks such as lighting, security, heating, and kitchen appliances.
Close to six in 10 (57%) smart device owners interact with their devices daily, indicating a shift towards a more connected lifestyle. At the same time, tech knowledge is burgeoning with more than one-third (38%) rating their tech understanding as ‘high’ to ‘very high’.
Younger Australians, aged 18 to 39, are leading in smart home device ownership, with almost half (49%) owning between one and three devices per household, while 51% of those over the age of 60 owned none.
Smart TVs are the most common smart home device, with 68% of Australians interacting with one at least once a week. Devices for listening to music are the second most common type present in homes with 42% of Australians using one on at least a weekly basis.
Smart hubs like Google Nest and Amazon Alexa were popular with 45% of those aged 30 to 39 and with 40% of Australian men. Security systems like the Ring doorbell also enjoyed a usage rate of 35% among Australian men and 40% of those aged 30 to 39. Smart devices across the board include fitness monitoring devices, smart lighting, kitchen appliances and smart thermostats are disproportionately popular with 30- to 39-year-old Australians, but don’t enjoy as much traction among those over 60.
When deciding which smart device to invest in next, more than two in five (43%) Australians said they would consider a smart home security device like video doorbells or a smart security system. Entertainment devices like smart TVs were the next item on the list for 38% of Australians followed by smart lighting (27%), health monitoring devices (27%), music devices (25%), kitchen appliances (24%), smart hubs (23%) and smart heating (19%).
While close to half (46%) of Australians choose to go online and one in five (20%) turn to friends and family for information on the latest smart home products, comparisons, and reviews, 5% will also read up on the latest in tech magazines.