Brits are coming round to wearable tech with 14% set to own wearables in 2016

People in the UK played it cool but can't resist connecting themselves
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The UK has acted too cool for wearable tech for a while. Sales haven't matched the enthusiasm seen in the US and China and at one point, we thought the Brit mentalities of eccentricity and privacy might get the better of the industry.

A new study from London-based consultancy, Lansons, predicts that Brits are simply waiting until wearable tech matures into something useful and stylish without being flashy or too nerdy.

Its new People Powered Health report, based on a survey of 2,000 people, suggests that the number of internet users in the UK who own wearables is set to double from 7% in 2015 to 14% in 2016.

Now 14% isn't as high as previous reports into the number of Americans who plan to buy a wearable tech device in the next 12 months. But it's a start.

Read this: London could be the wearable tech hub of the world - here's why

The report also predicts a rise in smart home device sales to 16% of internet users, versus just 9% this year. Home sensors, too, will be more prevalent in as many as 18% of homes.

The rise in interest in the UK could be down to a number of factors. The Apple Watch gave the whole sector a huge boost in awareness, of course, - there were windows dedicated to the smartwatch in Selfridges and British celebrities like Sam Smith have been sporting it. Wearables look far less corporate and chunky than they did 12 months ago and the health and fitness quantified self movement continues to gain new recruits.

The question now is which of the devices we're looking forward to in 2016 will win British hearts?

Image credit: CuteCircuit


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Sophie was Wareable's associate editor. She joined the team from Stuff magazine where she was an in-house reviewer. For three and a half years, she tested every smartphone, tablet, and robot vacuum that mattered. 

A fan of thoughtful design, innovative apps, and that Spike Jonze film, she is currently wondering how many fitness tracker reviews it will take to get her fit. Current bet: 19.

Sophie has also written for a host of sites, including Metro, the Evening Standard, the Times, the Telegraph, Little White Lies, the Press Association and the Debrief.

She now works for Wired.


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