Nearly a quarter of all households in the UK have smart speakers. And while many users are concerned about security issues, most users are satisfied with their devices.
Also Read: In The Future, Smart Speakers Could Save Your Life Literally
A new survey by Strategy Analytics for more than 1,000 smart speaker users found that three-fifths of users are concerned that voice-controlled devices will record them without their consent. Plus, they think nearly half will not share payment information through their smart speakers. However, 88% of users are satisfied with their smart speakers, and three-quarter says they are much more useful than expected.
More than 60% prefer to use voice instead of a touch screen or keyboard. 50% even say they can’t imagine life without a smart speaker. These results are based on an online survey of 1048 smart speaker users conducted in July/August 2019.
Gizchina News of the week
The report also found 31% of non-smart speaker users plan to purchase one for the first time in the next 12 months. Although people who are concerned about security are a small percentage of these potential buyers. 13% said they have not bought because they are concerned about security. And 7% said they don’t want to share data.
In addition, two-third of existing smart speaker users said they would definitely buy another smart speaker. And nearly one-third of users said they would buy it in the next 12 months. More than half of the smart speaker users already have more than one smart speaker at home. This once again confirms how these devices are at the heart of the emerging smart home lifestyle.
What Do The Analysts Think About The Smart Speakers?
David Watkins, director of smart sound and screen research services at Strategy Analytics, said: ‘Contrary to suggestions that people may be turning away from smart speakers because of security concerns, these results suggest that satisfaction rates are as high as they ever have been. For the moment at least, users are happy to accept the risks in return for the many benefits smart speakers bring to their everyday lives.’
David Mercer, principal analyst and report author of Strategy Analytics, added: ‘There are regular ‘scare stories’ in the general press about Big Tech in general and suspicions about new technology, but the reality is that most users pay them little attention. They may have legitimate concerns, but the benefits of voice technologies are so great that most people will overlook them.’
