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People Think Smart Home Tech is Too Expensive (usatoday.com)

Posted by msmash on from the beyond-my-budget dept.

According to new research commissioned by smart home software and hardware brand Wink, 34 percent of Americans believe it would cost $5,000 or more to turn their home into a smart home. An article on USA Today adds: It's a stark contrast from Wink's real world user data: Of the company's 2.7 million users, the average person starts with just 4 smart devices, and spends about $200. The information comes from a report Wink has dubbed their Smart Home Index, released today, in which more than 2,000 U.S. adults were surveyed by a team at Harris Poll. Aside from the cost misconception, a few other key insights rose to the top. For example, the adoption rate disparities across gender lines and income lines have almost disappeared. 43 percent of connected device buyers are now women, and 20 percent of all households with income under $50,000 per year have purchased a connected product. Of those that did purchase a smart home device, energy savings was the most frequently cited reason for doing so, followed by security. Only 33 percent of buyers expressed a desire to monitor or control their homes while away.

1 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. Thermostat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    There are only two "smart home" features I've actually cared to put in:

    * Occupancy sensor lights in bathrooms and other places that one frequently enters and exits a lot of times per day.
    * A smart thermostat with remote access

    Both were more about saving money than adding convenience.

    Nothing else is really worth the cost because the usability is utter shit and the interoperability is almost nil. Give me Star Trek level functionality ("computer, lights; computer, play ; computer, we're about out of TP, order some more") with cost effective equipment/install (wiring your house for automation, audio, etc. is insanely expensive, wireless stuff is still shitty) and I might change my mind, but we're a long, long way from that level of UX. Alexa, etc. notwithstanding. Also, it would require non-invasive implementations that don't collect data and/or otherwise spy on me.