Canada Digital Trends: Hardware Market Report 2022
£ 3,695 (Excl.Tax)
Report Summary
“It has been a relatively tough year for the tech hardware industry. The COVID-19 pandemic drove many consumers to purchase hardware during the initial stages of the lockdown but, after that initial spike, tech purchase rates declined. To top it off, component shortages and shipping issues have made stock sporadic. Even so, interest in tech hardware remains high and there are clear opportunities for tech providers to target demographic niches with specific product promotions.”
– Michael Lloy, Senior Tech and Media Analyst
This report covers the following issues:
- Who buys tech hardware and what tech hardware do they own
- Who subscribes or plans to subscribe to 5G
- What tech products are Canadians most interested in buying
- What factors influence tech product purchase decisions
- What product features would consumers pay more for
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Impact of COVID-19 on loyalty programs
- Figure 1: Immediate-, short- and longer-term impact of COVID-19 on loyalty programs, 2022
- Opportunities
- Health monitoring tech is an opening to get elderly consumers into smart home tech
- Open up smart homes to women
- Challenges
- Smartphone differentiation is a tough nut to crack
- A large portion of Canadians still have no clue what 5G is
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The Market – By The Numbers
- Tech stock climbs steadily, with a few hiccups
- iPad sales fell after a 2020 spike…
- Figure 2: Apple annual net sales by category (USD), 12 months ending December 2019 – 12 months ending December 2021
- …but competition is cutting into Apple’s wearable tech revenue
- Tech stock climbs steadily, with a few hiccups
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Market Factors
- Purchasing power has increased as the Canadian economy recovers
- Figure 3: Canadian unemployment rate, January 2019 – January 2022
- Figure 4: Canadian household savings rate, Q1 2019 – Q4 2021
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- Figure 5: Canadian consume price index, January 2019 – January 2022
- 5G is largely deployed, but rollouts needed more awareness.
- Impact of COVID-19 on tech hardware
- Immediate impacts (2020)
- Short term (2021)
- Recovery (2022-25)
- Purchasing power has increased as the Canadian economy recovers
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Competitive Strategies
- 2021 innovations in digital hardware
- Figure 6: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G Instagram post, September 2021
- Figure 7: Apple iPhone 13 Instagram post, January 2022
- Apple released the MagSafe Battery Pack with some new innovative features
- Apple engaged Watch customers with “A Time to Walk”
- Samsung guns for Apple Watch with Google Watch OS partnership
- Figure 8: Samsung Instagram post, August 2021
- Peloton took the first steps to safety with its new treadmill
- Figure 9: Peloton Tread Facebook post, August 2021
- Tech hardware brands are doubling down on sustainability
- 2021 innovations in digital hardware
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Digital Tech: Hardware – Fast Facts
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Hardware Ownership and Purchases
- Widely-owned tech continues to see minor growth
- Figure 10: Widespread tech ownership, November 2021 vs September 2020
- Older consumers have shored up slowing smartphone growth
- Figure 11: Essential tech ownership (% change), by age, November 2021 vs September 2020
- Brands continue to explore discounts and instalment plans to push smartphone sales
- Figure 12: Smartphone purchased during the pandemic, by age and income, 2022
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- Figure 13: Rogers Facebook post, November 2021
- Parents have been key drivers for pandemic tech purchases
- Figure 14: Tech purchases made during the pandemic, by age of child at home, 2022
- Video game console ownership and pandemic purchases rival tablets for younger consumers
- Figure 15: Tablet and video game console ownership, by age, 2022
- Nearly half of Canadians own wireless headphones
- Figure 16: Wireless earbuds/headphone ownership, by age, 2022
- There is a niche for smart speakers among older consumers
- Figure 17: Smart speaker ownership, 2021 vs 2020
- Audio device ownership higher among tablet users
- Figure 18: Audio device ownership, by smartphone and tablet ownership, 2022
- Widely-owned tech continues to see minor growth
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Smart Tech’s Role in Home Maintenance and Security
- Consumers are interested in smart tech for all aspects of home life
- Security tech ownership is most prevalent, but interest is spread across all products
- Figure 19: Ownership and interest in buying new tech, 2022
- Toys or tools? A difference in gender perceptions of tech
- Figure 20: Reasons for new tech purchases: tools and toys (any rank), by age and gender, 2022
- Smart appliance ownership and interest still skews towards men
- Figure 21: Tech ownership, men vs women, 2022
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- Figure 22: Interest in tech, men vs women, 2022
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- Figure 23: Arlo outdoor camera Instagram post, August 2021
- Figure 24: Arlo indoor camera Instagram post, May 2021
- Outdoor security cameras can be a good sell to lower- and middle-income Canadians
- Figure 25: Ownership and interest in security/safety tech, by household income, 2022
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- Figure 26: Ownership and interest in security/safety tech, Chinese and South Asian vs overall, 2022
- Security tech bundles are a good way to encourage increase ownership across product lines
- Consumers are interested in smart tech for all aspects of home life
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Smart Technology and Health
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- Increased health capabilities translate to increased smartwatch ownership
- Figure 27: Smartwatch/fitness tracker ownership, by age, November 2021 vs September 2020
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- Figure 28: Fitbit Instagram post, January 2022
- Figure 29: Smartwatch/fitness tracker ownership, by household income, 2022
- Older consumers are interested in personal health monitoring
- Figure 30: Samsung Canada, October 2021
- Figure 31: Health tech purchase factors (any rank), by age, 2022
- Consumers are weighing the benefits of smart scales
- Figure 32: Ownership and interest of smart scales by age, November 2021
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- Figure 33: Zibrio Instagram post, October 2020
- In the face of rotating lockdowns, young consumers are ‘locking down’ home fitness options
- Figure 34: Ownership and interest of smart scales, gym-goers vs overall, 2022
- Smart tech can provide consumers with much-needed hygiene hijinks
- Figure 35: Ownership and interest of smart toothbrushes, by number of children at home, 2022
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- Figure 36: AGU Baby Instagram post, January 2022
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Tech Hardware Innovation and Retailing
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- High brand loyalty means new avenues for differentiation
- Figure 37: Tech hardware features consumers would pay more for, 2022
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- Figure 38: “Higher product tiers within a brand” are worth paying more for, by age and household income, 2022
- Camera quality is a key smartphone feature for younger consumers
- Figure 39: “Mobiles phones with a better camera” are worth paying more for, by age and gender, 2022
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- Figure 40: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Instagram post, January 2022
- The future is green, but can green be gold?
- Figure 41: “Devices with eco-friendly production” are worth paying more for, by age and gender, 2022
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- Figure 42: “Devices with eco-friendly production” are worth paying more for, Chinese and South Asian Canadians vs overall, 2022
- Major hurdles remain for widespread 5G adoption
- Figure 43: 5G status of smartphone users, 2022
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- Figure 44: “I don’t have 5G, but expect to eventually (ie more than a year from now)”, by age and gender, 2022
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- Figure 45: “I don’t know what 5G is”, by age and gender, 2022
- 5G isn’t mind-control, but it would be a lot cooler if it was
- Figure 46: “I don’t want 5G,” by age and income, 2022
- Foldable smartphones will stay niche
- Figure 47: Smartphone ownership and interest, 2022
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- Figure 48: Samsung Fold3 BTS Instagram post, September 2021
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Mintel Trend Drivers
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Data sources
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