Digital Trends Quarterly - UK - July 2019

OVERVIEW
Covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Smartphone ownership remains flat while smartwatches continue steady growth
Figure 1: Ownership of mobile phones, January 2012-April 2019
Figure 2: Ownership of wearable devices, November 2014-April 2019
Niche computer form factors increasing their appeal
Figure 3: Ownership of computers, by form factor, June 2017-April 2019
4K TV ownership up to more than one in five households, while voice growth continues
Figure 4: Household ownership of HD and Ultra HD 4K televisions, July 2016-April 2019
Transactional activity growing, but fewer people are liking or following brands on social media
Figure 5: Online activities done in the last three months on any device*, October 2017-April 2019
YouTubers/vloggers the key influencers, with clothing and accessories the most-influenced category
Figure 6: Types of social media influencers who have prompted people to make purchases, April 2019
HEADLINE DATA – TECHNOLOGY OWNERSHIP AND PURCHASING
Data highlights
Mobile phone ownership
Figure 7: Ownership of mobile phones, January 2012-April 2019
Wearable technology ownership
Figure 8: Ownership of wearable devices, November 2014-April 2019
Other personal technology ownership
Figure 9: Ownership of digital/video cameras and portable games consoles, December 2013-April 2019
Computer ownership
Figure 10: Ownership of computers, January 2012-April 2019
Computer form factors
Figure 11: Ownership of computers, by form factor. June 2017-April 2019
TV ownership
Figure 12: Household ownership of HD and Ultra HD 4K televisions, July 2016-April 2019
TV connectivity
Figure 13: Household TV connectivity, January 2019-April 2019
Other household technology ownership
Figure 14: Ownership of other household technology products, January 2012-April 2019
Recent purchasing
Figure 15: Technology products bought in the last three months, June 2017-April 2019
Planned purchasing
Figure 16: Technology products plan to buy in the next three months, June 2017-April 2019
HEADLINE DATA – ONLINE ACTIVITIES
Data highlights
Activities on any device
Figure 17: Online activities done in the last three months on any device*, October 2017-April 2019
Activities on a desktop/laptop
Figure 18: Online activities done in the last three months on a desktop/laptop, October 2017-April 2019
Activities on a tablet
Figure 19: Online activities done in the last three months on a tablet, October 2017-April 2019
Activities on a smartphone
Figure 20: Online activities done in the last three months on a smartphone, October 2017-April 2019
Use of new technology
Figure 21: Use of new technology in the last three months, April 2017-April 2019
HEADLINE DATA – SPECIAL FOCUS: INFLUENCERS 
Data highlights
Type of influencer
Figure 22: Types of social media influencers who have prompted people to make purchases, April 2019
Purchases prompted by influencers
Figure 23: Purchases/activities prompted by influencers, April 2019
Influencer platforms
Figure 24: Platforms where people have seen influencer content that prompted purchases/activities, April 2019
KEY TRENDS THIS QUARTER
Gradual growth in smartwatch ownership and purchase intentions continues
Hybrid laptops gaining traction…
…as all-in-one desktop ownership hits highest level to date
TVs continue to get sharper and smarter, while VR ownership edges towards 10%
Voice growth shows no signs of slowing
The smartphone is the default payment mechanism for under-25s
Continuing decline in liking or following brands on social media
YouTubers and vloggers top the influencer charts
Clothing and accessories are the most-influenced purchases
INSIGHT: MOVING SMARTWATCHES INTO THE MAINSTREAM
Growth continues but early-adopter market nearly exhausted
Spending power holding back the under-25s, but the desire is there
Figure 25: Smartwatch ownership and intention to purchase, by age and gender, April 2019
Design and youth-focused features make Fitbit best-placed to fill the gap
Innovation needs a traditional package
Figure 26: Withings Move ECG
Watchmaker and fashion brands need to catch up
INSIGHT: HYBRIDS TO THE RESCUE IN THE LAPTOP MARKET?
The challenge of market maturity
Looking for growth from within
Potential hybrid buyers’ laptop habits differ from other laptop owners
Figure 27: Activities done on laptops in the home, by types of laptop considering buying purchase in the next 12 months, April 2019
Streaming and productivity are key messages to push
INSIGHT: SMARTPHONES AT THE INTERSECTION OF ONLINE SPENDING AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
The barriers to m-commerce have disappeared
Mobile spending on the rise in-store as well as online
Figure 28: Shopping online on desktops/laptops and smartphones in the last three months, April 2019
Figure 29: Activities done on a smartphone in the last three months – Made a mobile contactless payment (eg Android Pay, Apple Pay)
Money management at their fingertips
Figure 30: Managing finances on desktops/laptops and smartphones in the last three months, April 2019
Figure 31: Money Dashboard Budget Planner
Tapping into managed spending
Figure 32: Cleo, on Facebook Messenger
INSIGHT: THE IMPACT OF INFLUENCERS ON CONSUMER CHOICES
Who are the influencers?
Figure 33: Types of social media influencers who have prompted people to make purchases, April 2019
Food follows fashion in influencer-prompted purchase rankings
Figure 34: Purchases/activities prompted by influencers, April 2019
Figure 35: Myprotein “The Body Coach” protein range
On trend with travel
Choosing the right influencer
YouTubers/vloggers making their mark on beauty
Figure 36: Purchases/activities prompted by influencers, by selected types of influencer (1), April 2019
New breed of celebrities setting the trends in fashion
Figure 37: Purchases/activities prompted by influencers, by selected types of influencer (2), April 2019
Seeking a voice of authority for technology purchases
Figure 38: Purchases/activities prompted by influencers, by selected types of influencer (3), April 2019
YouTube by far the most influential platform
Figure 39: Platforms where people have seen influencer content that prompted purchases/activities, April 2019
More monetisation options arriving
FameBit creates a direct path to purchase on YouTube
Instagram turns sponsored content into ads
Proceed, but with caution
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Data sources
Abbreviations