Fewer than 10% of adult internet users in Germany said they owned wireless speakers in July 2016, according to a report from Deloitte. And those were the most popular items in the internet of things (IoT).
Just 4% of those surveyed said they owned a fitness tracker—think FitBit, for instance—and the same share said they owned a smart watch, like Apple’s.
Smart watches are also among the most desired IoT devices—though, again, fewer than one in 10 respondents were interested.
A meager 7% of respondents said they would consider purchasing a smart watch, the leading response along with wireless speakers. Other choices, like the speakers, pointed to domestic concerns: 6% said they would consider purchasing a surveillance security system, while another 4% would consider a home appliance, and 3% would consider a smart lighting system or a smart thermostat.
Clearly, internet users in Germany are hesitant about the IoT.
Purchase costs are the leading barrier to those who might otherwise adopt smart-home technologies, according to earlier research.
And digital marketers in Germany are also slow to bet on the IoT: According to an August 2016 survey conducted by eprofessional, fewer than 20% of digital marketers in the country named the IoT as a digital marketing trend.
And with nearly 50% of consumers in Germany not knowing the term “smart home,” or nearly 70% not able to describe a “connected car,” there’s a long way to go before mass adoption of these technologies.