While connected home gadgets have always figured heavily into CES’ agendas in recent years, this year marked a shift in the specific kinds of smart devices people want, according to Jennifer Kent, vp of research at Parks Associates, who is speaking in multiple CES sessions at this year’s event, which runs Jan. 11-14.

Consumers are less concerned with remotely monitoring their homes when they aren’t there and more interested in products that enhance their at-home experience. And perhaps as a result of various forms of social unrest in the past year, consumers are also more interested in home security, Kent said.

“What’s been so interesting in tracking the smart home this year is the change in priority of where the value of the smart home is,” Kent said. “Now, we’re home all the time anyway so I can get up and change my thermostat if I want to, but we’ve seen a really big uptick in a stronger, kind of recommitment to one of the core value propositions of the connected home, which is safety, peace of mind and security.”

From the artilce "How the Pandemic Shaped the CES Agenda This Year" by Patrick Kulp.

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