Smart devices losing appeal in India? Here’s what a new consumer survey found

Over 27 per cent of respondents said that they have stopped or reduced using at least one of the smart devices they own, according to the report which focuses on the following seven categories of smart devices covering 33 products:

– Smart Personal (smartphones, laptops, smart watches, rings, etc)
– Smart Home Appliances (ovens, washing machines, etc)
– Smart Entertainment (speakers, TVs, streaming devices, etc)
– Smart Comfort and Convenience (air purifiers, ACs, heaters, etc)
– Smart Security (door lock, cameras, etc)
– Smart Home Infra (router, thermostat, etc)
– Smart Auto (smart cars, bikes, scooters, etc)

“While it is heartening to see that smart devices continue to become integral in shaping our technology led lifestyle, there is a diminishing interest in some of the products felt by the consumers which is affecting the growth prospects of these products and categories in India,” Faisal Kawoosa, the chief analyst and founder of Techarc, said in a statement.

He added that Indian consumers are giving up low-quality products for smart devices that have unique value or “qual-tech”.

Adoption of smart devices across seven categories in India. (Image source: Techarc)

The report also found that over 22 per cent of respondents were willing to upgrade the collection of smart devices that they currently use. “Indian consumers are interested in spending on improving the value proposition in terms of features, quality and experience rather than exploring too many smart devices,” the report read.

Indian consumers are also increasingly on the lookout for AI features in smart devices. Over 42 per cent of respondents feel AI features might change their opinion about the utility of several smart devices, as per the report.

Based on Techarc’s survey, consumer awareness of smart devices is also growing. Around 73 per cent of respondents said they were aware of the role a chipset plays in smart devices, it found.

Most consumers (38 per cent) said that their smart devices were powered by chips manufactured by MediaTek followed by Qualcomm (24 per cent) and Intel (seven per cent).

No other smart device gets the same importance as a smartphone, the report further said.

Going into the next year, Techarc foresees that “most of the cars to be launched in the price range of Rs 20 lakh and above will have 5G M2M connectivity.” On-device GenAI, cloud connectivity, and multiple displays will be increasingly available in cars across price segments, the company added.

Over 21 per cent of respondents ranked MG Motors first based on smart car offerings, followed by Kia Motors (18 per cent) and Tata Motors (15 per cent). Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki also featured in the top five automobile brands offering smart cars.