By Matt Poole, Head of Consumer
From Ownership to Engagement: The Confidence Challenge Facing Consumer Tech
From smart TVs and speakers to wearable tech and connected appliances, technology is now firmly embedded in everyday life across the UK. But while adoption continues to rise, our latest research reveals a growing disconnect between owning technology and feeling confident using it – a gap with significant implications for brands, retailers and the wider consumer tech market.
Our study explores how Brits are really engaging with the technology in their homes, uncovering the confidence barriers that limit usage, suppress future demand and shape long-term purchasing behaviour.
A nation of connected homes
Consumer technology ownership is now firmly mainstream. Two-thirds of Brits (66%) own/use a smart TV, while 40% have/use a smart speaker and nearly a third (32%) own/use wearable tech. Video doorbells (26%), smart appliances (21%), home security cameras (21%) and smart thermostats (17%) are also becoming increasingly common.
On the surface, this paints a picture of a highly connected nation, but ownership alone doesn’t reflect how technology is actually being used or understood.
The usage gap: owning doesn’t mean mastering
Despite widespread adoption, confidence in using technology lags behind. Only 37% of consumers1 say they use most features and settings confidently. In contrast, 42% admit they stick to basic features only, while 14% say they use their devices occasionally but not fully.
This suggests the UK is increasingly becoming a nation of technology owners rather than technology users, with many devices under-utilised once they enter the home.
Confidence is the critical constraint
Overall confidence remains a challenge. Nearly one in five consumers1 (18%) say they are not confident* using consumer technology at home.
When asked what holds them back from using technology to its full potential, the barriers are practical rather than ideological. The most common reasons include not fully understanding all the features (29%), complicated set-up processes (25%), concerns around privacy and security (25%), and uncertainty over whether the benefits are worth the effort (24%). A further 22% cite a lack of clear instructions or support.
These friction points don’t just affect usage – they actively shape attitudes towards technology more broadly.
How consumers learn (and where support is falling short)
Learning how to use new technology is largely informal. Four in ten consumers (40%) rely on online videos, while similar proportions turn to instruction manuals (39%) or trial and error (35%). A third (33%) ask friends or family for help.
By contrast, only 17% rely on customer support or being shown how to use devices at the point of purchase, highlighting a clear gap between ownership and structured onboarding.
For brands and retailers, this represents a missed opportunity to build confidence, trust and long-term engagement at the moment it matters most.
Confidence and consumption are directly linked
The most commercially significant finding is the relationship between confidence and future purchasing. Six in ten consumers1 (60%) say that feeling more confident with the technology they already own would make them more likely** to upgrade or purchase newer versions.
Conversely, a lack of confidence acts as a brake on demand. 57% of those who don’t feel confident using technology in their home surveyed agree*** that low confidence puts them off upgrading or buying new technology, while 55% say it discourages them from purchasing tech for themselves***. Half (50%) say it even puts them off buying technology as a gift for others***.
Among those who lack confidence, the impact is stark: 39% say they are unlikely to buy any technology at all in the next 12 months.
Gifting, spending and what comes next
Technology remains a major part of seasonal spending. Nearly a third of consumers (32%) either bought or received tech as a Christmas gift this year, with average spend for purchases reaching £371.74.
Looking ahead, appetite for technology remains, but selectively so. Mobile phones (33%), TVs and home entertainment (22%), household appliances (21%) and smart home devices (19%) top the list of categories consumers are most likely to purchase in the next year.
Why confidence is the next growth lever
As innovation accelerates and households accumulate more devices, the challenge for the consumer tech sector is no longer awareness or access – it’s empowerment.
Our research shows that helping consumers understand, trust and feel confident using the technology they already own could be one of the most effective ways to unlock future upgrades, repeat purchases and long-term brand loyalty.
In an increasingly connected world, confidence may prove to be the most valuable feature of all.
*Respondents who answered ‘Not very confident’ or ‘Not confident at all’
** Respondents who answered ‘Very likely’ or ‘Somewhat likely’
*** Respondents who answered ‘Strongly agree’ or ‘Somewhat agree’
