Boomers aren't entirely nondigital⁠—they were, after all, the pioneers of adopting home computers—but at this point in their lives, they're a bit more reluctant about adopting newer technologies. That's true even for tech with real-life utility, such as voice assistants and smart-home devices, which could help boomers age in place and deal with the physical challenges that accompany increasing age. Along with concerns about things like privacy, it’s partly a matter of the inertia about adopting new things that tends to set in as one gets older.

As the use of smart-home technology increases, brands are experimenting with ways to use these connected IoT devices and systems—and the massive amounts of data that flows from them—in their marketing activities.

Smart-home devices are on the verge of mainstream adoption, and with that comes the opportunity for marketers to gain deeper insights about their audiences though user data. In our “Smart Homes 2020” report, we looked at how marketers use smart-home technology to integrate brands with the internet of things (IoT) universe and how consumers may react to hyperpersonalized advertising inside the home.

This report explores our latest forecasts for US voice assistant, smartphone voice assistant, and smart speaker users, and provides additional analysis about trends shaping the market.

The same trend was evident with respect to smart home devices like smart appliances or remotely controlled security systems. In H1 2019, 15.7% of internet users polled owned at least one smart home product; as of H1 2020, that share was 13.5%. However, ownership remained several percentage points greater among affluents and 25- to 34-year-olds.

Smart home products—including household energy monitors and remote home security systems—are following a similar trajectory, with ownership rising from 11.6% last year to 15.0% in H1 2020. In high-income households, nearly 20% of internet users owned a smart home product. After a major increase between 2018 and 2019, the share of smart TV owners hardly rose this year (46.4%).

Just 12.1% owned a smart home product, such as a system enabling users to monitor their home security remotely via a mobile app. Smartwatch penetration had increased marginally, however, to 16.4%. All these devices were more common among 25- to 44-year-olds and affluents. Penetration of gaming consoles rose but remained notably low at 9.4% overall.

By contrast, smart home devices are struggling to convince internet users of their usefulness or value for money. Just more than 5% of respondents owned a smart home product this year—compared with 7.4% in H1 2019. Digital activities dominate media time for most internet users, and by a large margin. Time spent with mobile devices continues to outpace all other categories, GlobalWebIndex reported.

Similarly, just one in 10 internet users polled had a smartwatch or smart wristband in H1 2020, and only 7.5% owned a smart home product—such as a household energy monitor or remotely controlled security system. However, penetration rates for smartwatches and smart home devices were significantly above average among males, younger adults, and respondents in affluent households.

In H1 2019, 10.2% of internet users owned a smartwatch, and 5.3% owned a smart wristband. A year later, those shares had climbed to just 11.9% and 8.8%, respectively. Similarly, smart home products, such as devices that allow homeowners to control their heating or appliances remotely, seem to have largely lost momentum. As of H1 2020, 11.5% of internet users owned a smart home device.

Smart home items are also gaining traction. Overall, the share of internet users who owned a smart home device—such as a web-enabled system designed to monitor household energy consumption—rose from 16.5% last year to 21.0% in H1 2020. Among respondents at the higher end of the income scale, that figure was 28.5%.