Wearables Lead Consumer IoT Charge

There are many “THINGS” that comprise the larger (and growing) Internet of Things market, but connected wearables, such as smart watches, are leading the consumer adoption curve, CSG found in a recent IoT-focused study.

Wearables are the most commonly used IoT device, with adoption at about 45%, CSG found in a poll of more than 2,000 adults in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

CSG also found that 34% of consumers use digital assistants, a category that includes products such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home, and just under 23% of respondents use smart home devices.

About 10% of consumers surveyed said they don’t use any IoT devices.

But among those who have IoT as part of their lives said simplifying tasks in the home (40%) was a key benefit. Looking ahead, 20% of those surveyed said they believe that IoT will be viewed as “essential” to one’s lifestyle in five years.

Those results from CSG, a company known for providing digital and customer-care services to major telecommunications providers, emerge as IoT and smart home services become key growth drivers for cable operators in both the consumer and business services domains.

For example, IoT is a major underpinning for Xfinity Home, Comcast’s security and smart home platform/service that has tallied about 1 million subscribers.

Additionally, both Comcast, with machineQ, and Cox Communications, via Cox2M, have launched IoT services for the enterprise sector.