A day in the life of the IoT

Our Connected Living III study involved 2,500 consumers from Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, the US and the UK. We asked them to think about what the use cases of IoT technology might be in the year 2030, and for their thoughts on a range of other subjects including privacy and security.

Their answers allowed us to build a picture of how ordinary people expect the IoT to change the way we all go about our day-to-day lives, as the technology impinges on everything from our sleep and leisure to the way we work and the food we eat. We found that consumers expect an omnipresent, seamless and personalized IoT experience , with the technology affecting our lives from dawn to dusk and beyond. 

7am: Good morning!

On waking, 39% of the study's respondents expected that they will see the morning news – based on their favorite headlines – projected on to their bedroom wall. 

8.30am: Traveling to work

More efficient working could be achieved through IoT devices and software, too. Almost half the study's respondents imagined a computer that would start up before they reached the office; 40% expected that a voice assistant would analyze their emails to show urgent tasks for the day; and 41% expected that the office car park could reserve a space when it knows they are en route. 

8.45am: Home alone

And 63% imagined that their smart thermostat would automatically lower the temperature of their central heating to conserve energy while their smart home is empty.

1pm: Retail therapy

A shopping excursion at lunchtime would be revolutionized too, said 45% of our respondents, who expected that all their purchases would be securely paid for as they left the shop. 

5.30pm: A visit to the gym

Health-conscious consumers visiting the gym after work would benefit from IoT-linked data too, said 48%, who expected that artificial intelligence would monitor their health and recommend food and exercise, taking their schedule into account.  

7.30pm: What's for dinner?

No need to scrabble around in the fridge to check what to cook for dinner that evening, with 42% looking forward to a smart refrigerator analyzing its own contents and recommending a menu.  

Far from imagining this as a dystopian future, our respondents were open to the benefits of these emerging technologies, with more than half believing that AI, silent authentication and the IoT will benefit their lives by 2030. And with the launch of 5G unlocking the potential of IoT by enabling more connections at once, this technology could be transforming our everyday routine well before then.

Related content: Top 5 IoT predictions for 2020