Is this the end of the computer?

By Rune Werliin, VP, Marketing & Professional Services, AudienceProject 17 Sep 2018

There was a time when (almost) every home had a computer. Now, we are seeing a steady decline of the once dominant hardware of the digital age - the good old computer. Instead, the smartphone is taking its place as the most widespread device in the homes and hands of the UK and Nordic markets.

Over the last three years, we have run our device study and introduced a new device each year - this year is no exception. This year, the smart speaker is the new kid on the block. And in the US, the smart speaker has already gained a greater reach than both the smartwatch and VR - our last two new device Inclusions.

Whereas VR has lost traction in the US and only a small increase in penetration in other markets, the smart speaker is fast becoming a staple in the home technology ‘stack’ for the three big markets in our report.

The differences in market maturity between the US, UK and Germany, compared to the Nordics, is obvious when looking at the high penetration of Amazon in the former markets and Sonos in the latter. In the Nordics, smart speakers are mainly used for their core purpose - music - whereas smart speakers are used for a multitude of non-music tasks in the Amazon-adopted markets.

Chat to the AudienceProject team at MAD//Fest on 28-29 Nov or download the full report here