Blog articles from 09/2018

Virtual reality has been a hot button topic in the next generation of connected entertainment for the past few years, though the adoption of in-home devices has yet to gain significant adoption. Just 25% of consumers reported familiarity with VR headsets in Q1 2018, and even fewer reported actually owning and using said devices. However, an emerging entertainment company called The Void is shattering perceptions and concepts of virtual reality, challenging consumer notions of...

According to Parks Associates research, the percentage of broadband households not intending to purchase a smart home device due to security and privacy concerns has increased from 21% in Q1 2017 to 32% in Q1 2018. Further, more than one-fourth of U.S. broadband households strongly agree that it’s impossible to keep their personal data away from unauthorized users. Security and privacy concerns are clearly becoming top of mind for many connected consumers. As the number of...

Buyer research shows smart thermostats serve as gateway devices for smart speakers   Smart home research from Parks Associates finds that U.S. broadband households are buying additional smart devices as more purchase channels open to them—16% of U.S. broadband households own two or more smart home devices. According to 360 View: Smart Home Buyer Journey and User Experience , smart thermostats are the best-selling smart home category, and nearly 50% of smart...

Apple kicked off the company’s Apple Event day with the introduction of the new Series 4 Apple Watch. As anticipated from leaked photos, the new version maintains the same exterior dimensions as the Series 3 but has 30% larger screens. It has louder speakers, a faster dual-core processor, and greater interaction with the Siri digital assistant – all very useful and largely anticipated upgrades. More significant are new functions that turn the watch into a medical...

Written by Alexa Saldana, Research Intern at Parks Associates Millions of Americans experience chronic pain and the challenges that follow with managing and mitigating discomfort. Parks Associates’ 360 View: Health and Independent Living finds that 60% of heads of U.S. broadband households have a chronic condition. Medical device manufacturers are looking to optimize user-friendly devices that benefit patients and providers. Medtronic, one of the largest medical device...

One of the most exciting announcements during the Apple Event today centered around the introduction of eSIM technology into the new iPhone XS and XS Max. eSIMs act as a replacement for a traditional physical SIM card - they save internal space, improve water resistance, and allow users to configure their phone's network connection without having to request, wait for, and then physically insert a SIM card. In 2016 and 2017, eSIMS began gaining traction in the consumer market with...

In a complimentary webcast hosted by Parks Associates and Swrve on September 6, 2018, Hunter Sappington , Research Analyst, Parks Associates, led discussion about OTT churn rates and how companies can work to retain consumers and increase engagement. Joining Sappington was Swrve’s CMO, Barry Nolan and Comcast’s Senior Director of Product Management, David Browne. After a brief introduction of the panelists, Sappington started of the webcast with research on OTT consumers...