Over the past decade there has been a huge development into smart tech and its integration into our homes and everyday lives. From the security of our properties to tracking our daily fitness, there is a smart tech for everything. But where in the UK has truly embraced the adoption of this technology?
A recent study by tech retailer Currys analysed the Google search volume for various types of smart tech across the UK to discover which city or town is considered the “smartest” when it comes to tech.
The town that came out on top overall was Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, it scored the highest for smart energy device searches (which included Smart thermostats, Radiator Valve and Smart Lighting- smart wall lights, smart table lamps, smart bulbs, smart switches) per 1000 residents and scored highly for smart connectivity searches too (Smart home Wi-Fi systems, Smart plugs, Smart remotes, Smart displays, Smart clocks, Home Voice control- Google Home, Nest, Alexa etc) , resulting in 28.2 out of 50 overall.
Top smart tech products searched for in Gateshead in each category
- Energy Consciousness- Smart radiator valves
- Home Security- Smart smoke alarms
- Entertainment- Smart TVs
- Fitness- Smart watches
- Connectivity- Alexa
In second place was Bolton, a town in Greater Manchester with a score of 25.6 out of 50. Scoring highly for smart connectivity and for smart fitness too (Smart watches- Apple watches, Fitness trackers, Smart Health- sleeping monitors, smart scales, smart water bottles).
Top smart tech products searched for in Bolton in each category
- Energy Consciousness- Smart radiator valves
- Home Security- Smart window sensors
- Entertainment- Streaming sticks
- Fitness- Apple watches
- Connectivity- Alexa
In third was the Yorkshire city of Wakefield which although not scoring top for any individual category scored 23.3 out of 50 overall.
Top smart tech products searched for in Wakefield in each category
- Energy Consciousness- Smart thermostat
- Home Security- Smart doorbells
- Entertainment- Streaming sticks
- Fitness- Apple watches
- Connectivity- Google Home
The UKs 10 most tech smart locations
| Rank | City | Smart security rank (out of 10) | Smart Energy rank (out of 10) | Smart Entertainment rank (out of 10) | Smart Fitness rank (out of 10) | Smart Connectivity rank (out of 10) | Total score (out of 50) |
| 1 | Gateshead | 3.64 | 10.00 | 2.46 | 3.47 | 8.62 | 28.2 |
| 2 | Bolton | 1.21 | 4.60 | 1.27 | 8.53 | 10.00 | 25.6 |
| 3 | Wakefield | 3.39 | 5.85 | 2.18 | 6.48 | 5.37 | 23.3 |
| 4 | Salford | 2.55 | 3.11 | 1.33 | 5.61 | 9.47 | 22.1 |
| 5 | Brighton | 3.23 | 5.00 | 2.96 | 4.09 | 6.11 | 21.4 |
| 6 | Burnley | 2.10 | 3.42 | 5.53 | 8.00 | 1.34 | 20.4 |
| 7 | Portsmouth | 10.00 | 1.71 | 2.39 | 3.16 | 2.53 | 19.8 |
| 8 | Oldham | 2.81 | 1.49 | 2.97 | 7.97 | 4.43 | 19.7 |
| 9 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 1.45 | 2.53 | 1.53 | 10.00 | 3.77 | 19.3 |
| 10 | Edinburgh | 8.96 | 1.20 | 1.19 | 1.74 | 4.15 | 17.2 |
Sit up, Britain: Smart Fitness is the technology Brits ab-solutely can’t get enough of
Brits love their fitness. The ranking by Currys records a whopping 2,335,925 search results annually making it the favourite British Smart Technology. The analysis investigated how many times people across the country Google different Smart technologies and standardised the results by weighting for population. Newcastle upon Tyne peaked out as the most interested in the technology which includes Apple watches, Fitness trackers, Smart weighing scales, and Smart water bottle.
The general trend around interest peaks in December and the following month, but sometimes can go flat for an entire year until the festive season. The only exception to this was during lockdown, where search remained relatively constant throughout the year. Looks like the data proves Brits might be seasonal health enthusiasts, outside of Newcastle that is.
