Quarter of Brits ignoring smart tech features (despite paying for them)

Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of Brits use less than half of the functions on their smart gadgets and technology, with 26 per cent admitting to paying for HD channels but not watching them, according to new research.

The survey of 2,000 UK adults by etailer, LaptopsDirect.co.uk published in the Technology Forecast Report 2017, found that 23 per cent of Britons use less than half of the functions on their smart gadgets and technology, sticking with preset and default settings.

Also, 26 per cent admit to paying for high definition (HD) satellite channels but not always watching them, with a third (32 per cent) saying they often forget the HD versions of their favourite channels are available.

It is a similar story when it comes to watching films, with 36 per cent confessing to watching standard definition DVDs on their HD and BluRay players.

One in 10 (11 per cent) said slow internet speeds have prevented them from using the smart functions on their gadgets and technology.

However, 46 per cent say they know how to use the smart functionality on the gadgets in their homes, and 50 per cent claim to use the apps on their smart TV regularly, showing that not all features and functions gather dust.

The USB function (66 per cent) was the most commonly used function on smart televisions followed by the Bluetooth function (50 per cent) and on-demand TV apps (50 per cent).

While less than one in six (14 per cent) said they had used the internet browser function, making it the least utilised smart tech function. Television instant messenger apps (19 per cent) and social media apps (23 per cent) also made the top three least used smart gadget functions.

Mark Kelly, marketing manager at LaptopsDirect.co.uk said, “The research shows that despite technology and gadgets being capable of elaborate functions, they are not always used, with Brits not knowing how to use certain settings or forgetting that they have the ability to do so. However, 50 per cent of respondents said they would still buy a model with the latest capabilities despite not knowing how to use them.

Source: www.laptopsdirect.co.uk