It is safe to say that the modern world is experiencing a level of convenience that was not accessible to people a few decades ago. An average person living in the 1920s would never imagine that a century later, doing the laundry and heating the house during winter can be done just by pressing a button.
Some may even dismiss those concepts as impossibilities or madness. But now, we are equipped with a wide array of technological products that make everyday life much more comfortable. And the good thing is that these technologies keep getting cheaper and smarter as the years go by — no wonder it is prevalent for families to have smart tech gadgets at their service.
How Smart Tech Became a Household Necessity
Let us look at one of the most common tech products of today: smart televisions. These sophisticated TVs can connect to the internet to watch shows, live music, and even play games. They can do a lot more compared to the bulky traditional televisions. The business data platform Statista found out that the percentage of households with a smart TV in the UK rose from 12% in 2014 to 42% in 2019. This same company made a forecast that come the year 2022, and there will be about 119 million smart TV owners in the U.S., accounting for around 58% of all users.
The rise of smart televisions and smart technology, in general, can be attributed to the fact that they are becoming more available to everyone. The market for tech products is already saturated with giants like Google, Apple, and General Electric, to name a few. And yet, a lot of new tech companies are still sprouting from the ground up.
Another compelling reason why smart technology became a household necessity is that the benefits of using them outweigh the costs. For instance, installing a smart energy-saving thermostat can reduce heating and cooling costs by about 12% and 15%, respectively. If you think of the long-term, you can conclude that using this smart thermostat is more sustainable and cost-effective.
In-demand Smart Technology
Suppose that you want to have a house. You did all the necessary steps — applying for home loans, researching potential locations, and signing the necessary paperwork. Once you actually get it, you would want to make it the best house it can be. Equipping it with smart devices should be one of the first things you do.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to making your home “smarter.” You may want to integrate your lights, speakers, clocks, and even your toilet flush so that you can activate them through your phone or a voice command. Or, perhaps, you want to set up smart security cameras and lock systems. Those are all doable with smart technology.
Here’s a list of smart household tech to give you a picture of what’s hot in the market.
- Smart Plugs. These are simply outlets that allow you to remotely turn on or off any appliance that you connect to them. You may access these plugs through Wi-Fi. Aside from turning gadgets on and off, you can also use them for monitoring energy consumption. The best brands to try include iHome, ConnectSense, and Belkin WeMo.
- Smart Speakers. Whether you agree or not, voice commands are one of the best inventions by man. Just by saying a word or phrase, you would be able to ask Siri or Alexa to change your heating system’s setting or dim a light bulb. Smart speakers are gadgets that enable you to give orders to these digital assistants. The most popular speakers are Apple HomePod, Google Home Max, and Amazon Echo.
- Smart Displays. If you want a smart speaker’s functionality and prefer monitoring your devices through an interactive screen, smart displays are for you. They look like tablets and perform like smart speakers with additional features. It would help if you looked out for products like Amazon Echo Show, Lenovo Smart Display, and Google Nest Hub Max.
- Smart Security Systems. Keeping your house safe is always a priority. And thanks to smart security systems, monitoring its safety is made more convenient. These are integrated smart outdoor cameras, video doorbells, locks, and sensors that you can access through an application. Because these systems are composed of more than one gadget and require complicated integration, they may have higher costs. Honeywell, Nest Secure, and SimpliSafe are reliable security systems that you can trust.
Buying a Tech-Enabled Home
If you do not want to build a smart home from scratch, then one option for you is to purchase a ready-built home equipped with the necessary smart devices. These houses may be pricier, so you need to be judicious about your decisions.
According to real estate websites, smart home buyers prioritize convenience, security, and energy efficiency, among other factors. A significant component of this would be security systems and appliances that are well-integrated through a user-friendly application. Those are the nonnegotiables. As for the other smart technologies, you may consider them as you deem necessary.
What Homeowners Should Invest in
Yes, smart technology is something that requires cash outflow. However, smart tech is not just a luxury anymore. They are already necessities to create more convenient and safer homes. Consider them as investments for the future. In time, you will see that having smart tech devices at home is worth the price.
