Head of the Smart Home: European women taking ownership of family’s technology and electronics

International research has found that voice-activated smart speakers have created a boost in confidence with Europeans to buy, use and own consumer electronics

New European insights from D-Link have revealed developments in who traditionally owns, buys and uses consumer electronics and gadgets the most in the modern smart home – as more than half of women (55%) across Europe say that they take the lead on tech in their families. 

The new research from D-Link, a world leader in smart home and technology, has also found that using voice-enabled smart speakers at homes such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomePod, has given millions of people across Europe a new found boost in technology confidence. 67% of women across the continent thank their voice-enabled smart speaker for increasing their confidence in technology, as well as that of their families.  

D-Link surveyed more than 8,000 people in United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, and found that more than 480,000,000 of Europeans (65%) today own or plan to buy a voice-enabled speaker for their home. Of this, it is more than 61% of women in Europe who own or plan to buy a voice-enabled speaker in the near future.

D-Link’s study also found that, on average, around half of women across Europe (55%) are the person in their families who will buy and use gadgets the most. Women in Italy were found to be the most tech-savvy in their households, as more than around 62% say they buy and use technology the most. They’re followed by those in Germany and Spain (59%), France (54%) and 37% of women in the UK.

As well as building technology confidence, an overwhelming three quarters (72%) of people across Europe say that their voice-enabled smart speaker has benefited their lives in some way – including 70% of women across the continent.

Half of Europeans collectively (50%) thank voice-enabled smart speakers for saving them time, while the same amount (50%) also believe that their device has helped to make everyday tasks easier. Around one third (33%) of Europeans are enjoying a calmer home environment, claiming that their Amazon Alexa, Google Home Assistant or Apple Homepod have made certain situations less stressful.

When exploring the most common uses for voice-activated smart speakers, D-Link found that a majority of Europeans (71%) mostly use their devices to listen to music, the radio or podcasts. This is followed by checking the weather (57%), like an alarm clock or timer (52%), to catch up on the latest news and current affairs (52%) and asking funny questions (41%).

Of this, the researchers discovered that more than two-in-five people across Europe (42%) use their voice-enabled smart speaker in collaboration with other smart home devices, such as smart plugs, routers, home security cameras and leak detection devices.

Commenting on the research, Kevin Wen, President of D-Link Europe: “From these findings, it is interesting to see the impact that accessible technology and consumer electronics have on the modern home. From smart devices that make homes safer and more secure to technology that enables  control over our home from wherever we are, through to devices we can power using our voice, more accessible technology is really changing the dynamics of the home – and beyond – for the better.”

D-Link has been at the forefront of creating and developing technologies to improve internet connectivity in homes and in the office around the world for more than three decades. A testament to this, this year the company launched its latest range of home Wi-Fi routers – EXO Smart Mesh Wi-Fi routers (DIR-1960, DIR-2660 and DIR-3060), which comes with sophisticated McAfee Protection built-in.

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