Ting Internet recently conducted a survey of 1,500 people and asked them how many Internet-enabled devices they have in their home. The average respondent quickly estimated that they had eight IoT devices in their home.
Now, make a count of all of the devices. Following is a list of the kinds of devices you might have that can connect with wireless:
- Computer, laptops, tablets, and cellphones
- eReaders like the Amazon Kindle
- Smart TVs
- Smart watches
- Gaming consoles
- Smart speakers
- Smart headphones
- Smart assistants like the Amazon Echo
- Smart thermostats (ones that you can control from a cellphone or computer)
- Security and front porch cameras
- Smart door locks
- Alarms that you can control remotely for burglar, smoke, CO2, radon, and flood alarms
- Smart appliances you can control from an app such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, coffee makers
- Smart exercise monitors and smart gym equipment
- Smart medical devices like blood pressure monitors, sleep monitors, and thermometers
- Smart lights
- Smart blinds
- Smart irrigation and watering systems
- Smart toys, robots, and gadgets
- Your car – if you can start it from your phone
Respondents generally undercounted. Instead of the eight devices they thought they had, after going through the list the average count grew to thirteen.
I tried this and my quick guess was sixteen and my wife guessed twenty-six. After sitting with my wife and counting we came up with thirty-three devices. There were devices on the final list that surprised me. I learned we can control our basement dehumidifier with WiFi. We have two inexpensive thermometers that allow us to record our temperatures in an app every time we use them. We had both forgotten about the ability to start the car remotely. The number of wired devices would have been higher, but we recently undertook a spring cleaning and ditched and donated a few smart devices. And after we did the count, our daughter came home for the summer and brought eleven more devices.
Ting found a few more interesting things in the survey. Adults between 35 and 54 had the highest number of connected devices. They also were the group that undercounted the number of devices by the biggest percentage.
Ting’s survey found the most commonly owned devices are smartphones (96%), computer/laptop (86%), tablet (70%), smart TV (69%), gaming console (62%), streaming device (49%), smart speaker (42%) and smartwatch (31%).
Ting’s survey results were lower than I’ve seen from other surveys that I’ve covered in a blog. Deloitte found in a survey in 2022 that the average home has 22 smart devices. But the bottom line is that wireless capability is being included in a huge array of everyday devices. Our homes are becoming increasingly connected.
4 replies on “How Many IoT Devices Do You Have?”
I used to work for one of the big tech companies and I’m pushing.hardntowards zero. Once they decide the product line isn’t profitable, you are at risk of.having a worthless glob of plastic and semiconductor.
Eventually, companies will need to commit.to “minimum service period”. Until then…no thanks.
Can you link to the Ting study? I would like to see it.
Funny story…
About a year ago, we were looking to purchase a new gas grill. The sales rep was trying sell us on this “wonderful” new feature where you could remotely run the gas grill from your cell phone while it was cooking your food… and you were elsewhere.
I looked at him mortified. “Why would anyone want to be so far away from a functioning gas grill while it is cooking, that they needed access to it via the Internet?”
Not I. When the blasted thing is cooking, I always want to be right there, maybe on a quick trip back to the kitchen (10 steps, max.), but not too far away and not for too long.
Then it occurred to me… “Maybe someone might want remote/Internet access for a gas grill if they’re buying it for their ex-spouse?”
We didn’t buy it.
P.S. To be brutally honest, I wish manufacturers would concentrate on improving their basic product & less on pushing Internet access for a machine that shouldn’t need it. (I know, ” Oh, Ron!”)