New research from IoT firm shows smart watch adoption increases to 14%, while tablet adoption peaks

Parks Associates announced new IoT research today showing a continued increase in adoption of smart watches, with adoption reaching 14% in Q2 2017. The firm’s research also shows that smartphone adoption has remained stable since 2016, while tablet adoption may have peaked after reaching a high of 72% in Q1 2016.

“Although smart watches have not become mainstream yet, purchase interest is on the rise,” said Kristen Hanich, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. “The proportion of consumers very likely to purchase one of these devices jumped from 3% in Q1 2016 to 9% in Q2 2017. New smart watch models from Apple and Fitbit will drive increases in consumer demand. At the same time, operators are migrating their networks to 5G architecture to provide more low-power cellular connectivity options to device OEMs, which will help consumers find new use cases for these devices.”

The firm recently released its 360 View: Mobility & The App Economy, which quantifies mobile device and service usage and preferences. The research also assesses the opportunities available for service providers and other players in the mobile ecosystem.

Parks Associates also released two industry reports assessing the mobile and broadband landscape:

• Modern Broadband: Impact of Wireless on Fixed-line examines the use of cellular and Wi-Fi connections for in-home and out-of-home data needs. The report addresses the impact these wireless technologies will have on fixed-line broadband services and evaluates usage of both options, as well as the pros and cons of each, and includes a five-year forecast for fixed-line global broadband household connections.
• Mobile Data Services: Business Model Assessment analyzes how global mobile operators sell mobile data services, manage customer loyalty programs, develop innovative services, and offer customer incentives such as zero-rated services and international travel plans. It also provides an update of global mobile data revenues earned by operators from 2017-2021.

Additional data from the research shows:

• Tablet adoption declined to 67% in Q2 2017, down from 72% in Q1 2016.
• In 2016, 12% of the U.S. population owned a smartphone but did not have fixed home broadband.
• While 40% of consumers show interest in connected cars, only 2% of families with a shared data plan report having a connected vehicle on their plan.
• Loyalty programs and value-added services have an extremely positive effect on net promotor scores (NPS) for operator brands, potentially raising NPS by 15-30 points.

More information about the research is available at www.parksassociates.com. To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific data, contact Julia Homier at julia.homier@parksassociates.com, 972-996-0214.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates provides business intelligence and research services through its proprietary methodologies developed over decades, including quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

The company's expertise crosses many industries: home security and smart home, streaming video, broadband and pay-TV services, digital media and platforms, gaming, Wi-Fi and home networks, connected health, support, consumer electronics, home control systems, energy management, and tech solutions for the multi-dwelling (MDU), small-to-medium business (SMB), and commercial building markets.

Each year, Parks Associates brings thousands of leaders together for its webinars and annual events. The firm hosts the annual executive research and strategy conferences CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. https://www.parksassociates.com

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