As smart homes promise to revolutionize our daily lives, we investigated what devices consumers are actually bringing into their homes – and how satisfied they really are with them.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer just an innovative concept fitting for a vision of a future society – it has quietly and gradually evolved into an integrated technology that shapes our daily lives. Smart connected devices (SCDs) already allow us to control our homes remotely, track our health metrics, and connect our everyday objects to the digital world.
With the global IoT market forecasted to reach $5,3 trillion by 2032, understanding consumer behavior and adoption patterns has never been more crucial for businesses looking to capitalize on this growth.
At Infinum, we conducted extensive research examining consumer attitudes, lifestyles, and behaviors as factors that impact the widespread adoption of smart connected devices. Our findings provide unique insights into IoT adoption patterns that can inform your product development and marketing strategies.
Understanding smart devices adoption through research
Our study examined 948 participants primarily from European countries, with the UK, Portugal, Poland, and Italy representing the most significant markets in the sample. The majority of participants were under 35 years old with bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees, living predominantly in urban areas.
We investigated ownership and satisfaction rates across 16 different smart connected devices, ranging from connected printers and activity trackers to smart home systems and health monitors. These insights offer valuable direction for businesses developing IoT products in 2025 and beyond.
Ownership of smart connected devices– the numbers
Our research revealed compelling statistics about smart connected device adoption:
- 87.3% of respondents have used smart connected devices
- 75.9% owned at least one smart connected device
Most frequently owned devices
Our research revealed clear leaders in the smart device marketplace, with practical and personal devices dominating consumer purchases.
This ownership pattern reveals interesting insights about consumer priorities. Personal devices that enhance productivity, health monitoring, and convenience take precedence over more complex household systems. This preference is particularly pronounced among younger respondents with low to modest incomes, who tend to invest in personal devices rather than whole-home systems.
Satisfaction rates: what makes users happy?
When it comes to SCDs, ownership doesn’t always equal satisfaction, and how customers feel about using a device is critical feedback for product development and marketing strategies. Our research found that satisfaction rates varied considerably across different smart connected devices.
Overall, 80% of respondents were somewhat or completely satisfied using connected lights, activity trackers, and smartwatches, indicating these categories have most successfully met consumer expectations.
The demographic factor: younger users make budget-conscious choices
The differences in fulfillment of expectations and satisfaction appear to be related to demographic profiles. Younger respondents with low to modest incomes preferred owning personal smart connected devices like connected printers, activity trackers, and smartwatches over household systems.
Communicating the capabilities of smart hubs clearly can help set accurate consumer expectations, leading to higher fulfillment and satisfaction.
It’s reasonable to assume these users owned less expensive versions of the most frequently owned devices. In this context, they might be more satisfied and their expectations more fulfilled if smart devices are fun to use and if the less expensive products resemble the look, feel, and functions of their more expensive, idealized versions.
Microtrend: why activity trackers outperform smart hubs
An interesting pattern emerged in our data: activity trackers consistently achieved higher satisfaction rates than home assistants and smart hubs. This reveals important lessons for IoT product development:
1
Budget considerations matter.
Our participants’ low to modest income levels explain their budget-friendly purchase decisions. Less costly activity trackers can successfully monitor fitness metrics, but more affordable home assistants don’t match the capabilities of premium versions. Failing to create an idealized “smart home” certainly affects user satisfaction.
2
Onboarding complexity impacts satisfaction.
The setup process for smart hubs is more challenging and requires connection to other devices to start creating a smart home. Connecting numerous smart devices and customizing settings takes time, disrupting the user experience and lowering customer satisfaction.
Although home assistants offer a broader range of capabilities, people who have owned both activity trackers and smart hubs were significantly more satisfied with activity trackers. This suggests that simpler, more focused devices that perform their core functions well may lead to higher satisfaction than more complex systems with steeper learning curves.
Key insights for product development
The connection between product satisfaction and expectation fulfillment can guide your product development decisions:
1
Build around usefulness
Identify areas where user expectations are unmet and invest in features aligned with their needs. A free way to get valuable insight is to monitor user satisfaction through product reviews, focusing on expectation fulfillment, and upgrading your product to match user expectations.
2
Set accurate expectations.
Since customer satisfaction hinges on how fulfilled their expectations are, it is crucial to market smart devices in a way that accurately communicates their capabilities and limitations. This will help manage user expectations and result in higher user satisfaction.
3
Consider entertainment value.
Where applicable, consider adding gamification, customization, or entertainment options. An entertaining user experience resonates with a younger audience and might be an appealing benefit for them.
4
Communicate hub capabilities clearly.
Clear communication about the capabilities of smart hubs can help set accurate consumer expectations, leading to higher fulfillment and satisfaction.
As the IoT market continues to expand, understanding what drives ownership and satisfaction of smart connected devices will be crucial for businesses looking to succeed in this space. Our research shows that personal devices with clear, focused functionality and easy setup tend to achieve higher satisfaction rates, particularly among younger, budget-conscious consumers.
By aligning your product development and marketing strategies with these insights, you can better meet consumer expectations and increase adoption of your smart connected devices. The key lies in creating useful, pleasant experiences that are easy to use and reliable – the factors our research identified as the strongest predictors of smart device adoption.
This article draws from Infinum’s comprehensive research examining factors that influence smart device adoption. Download the full report for more detailed insights on IoT adoption trends and effective product development strategies.
