Consumer electronics have been evolving throughout the years, coming from a basic design with basic features, to finally adopting the internet of things as a standard for their performance. Find out in this article about IoT in consumer electronics, applications, and benefits.
What is consumer electronics?
Consumer electronics refers to electronic devices that are used by consumers mostly in their homes (TVs, DVD players, refrigerators, washing machines). However, with the evolution of technology, what is considered as consumer electronics has been expanded to devices or products that can be easily carried by a person outside the house.
Taking this into account, we could refer to devices such as tablets, GPS navigation systems, phones, and laptops.
Consumer electronics applications
Commonly, these electronic devices provide several types of services: entertainment, data storage and management, and communication. For years, these features were enough for the consumers, people could spend hours with those products without getting bored.
Then, the internet came, and with that, society’s desire for new features for consumer electronics brought the attention of companies to manufacture devices with new applications.
People wanted new ways of entertainment, they also wanted to simplify their lives. That’s why consumer electronics companies started developing IoT products (hardware design) that could be controlled from the office, like microphones, cameras, vacuum cleaners. Or something to have fun, like drones, and speakers; you can find many IoT device examples out there.
Consumer electronics and IoT
The Internet of Things found its place in consumer electronics. People love how IoT in their devices allows them to increase efficiency and ease of use.
Do you imagine a laptop that can’t connect to the internet or to your bluetooth headphones? Would you feel comfortable using a vacuum cleaner the old fashioned way, or would you prefer to control it from your phone on the way home?
IoT means velocity, practicality, and less effort. Who wouldn’t want that? IoT in consumer electronics allows people to control almost everything from the phone. For instance, you can control your washing machine and program it to do laundry for you while you are at the office.
Are you in the supermarket and forgot what you need to buy? No problem, IoT consumer electronics make it easy for you. Now you can check from your phone the interior of your refrigerator, that way you can keep a track of the food you need to get.
Consumer electronics market
The consumer electronics industry continues its expansion as technology advances: A lot of companies are investing in IoT developments (to launch new products and avoid staying behind the competition), and the usage of smartphones and tablets is increasing in the world.
The IoT consumer electronics market was valued at US$44.46 Billion in 2020. According to the Global Consumer IoT Market Report, this industry is estimated to reach USD 153.80 Billion by 2026. Thanks to greater internet access, and smart devices adoption, it is expected to see in the future more automated homes that will also be connected to consumer electronics.
Consumer electronics manufacturers
There are thousands of companies that produce consumer electronics, however, not all of them include IoT connectivity, but it is something that will be mandatory in the upcoming years.
We could mention some of the top consumer electronics companies in the world that include IoT features in their devices: Sony, Apple, Intel, IBM, LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba.
These consumer electronics companies produce smartphones, TVs, tablets, headphones, laptops, refrigerators, speakers. In essence, those are the same products you could get 10 or 20 years ago, but now they include new features that are possible thanks to the Internet of Things. And as we mentioned before, people want connectivity, and this means turning everyday tasks into automated tasks.
At DeepSea Developments, we also build consumer electronics with special features through advanced IoT product development consulting. We have helped many entrepreneurs to produce devices that are now being sold in the market (drones, speakers, tablets…).
We start with a meeting, in which the entrepreneur outlines the requirements of the project. We listen carefully and do a revision of all specifications, then, we perform a proof of concept to confirm if the project is viable. After that is done, we make some suggestions if needed, and start designing and developing the device. We have even helped clients redesign their products because of chip scarcity problems; innovation is crucial at this moment.
How to start consumer electronics business
As you already know, the combination of consumer electronics and IoT is a growing market with enormous potential. Maybe you want to be part of that growth, and you wish to launch a product that can reach millions of people (see IoT business models).
If a device allows IoT connectivity, it will probably attract the market’s attention. But if you want to be sure about the potential success of your idea, the money you need to invest to do a mass production and to launch it into the market, we suggest you carry out a fast prototyping process, and think about a good IoT marketing strategy.
Every big company started operating in a market because they wanted to solve a need. Of course, they have been innovating in their products and adding new features throughout the years.
You can also bring a great IoT consumer electronics product to the market. We have developed drones, IoT solutions, advanced speakers. among other devices. Contact us now and we will help you develop your consumer electronics idea.