2013-Accenture-Consumer-Electronics-Products-and-Services-Usage-Report

It’s Anyone’s Game 

in the Consumer 

Electronics Playing Field 

The 2013 Accenture Consumer Electronics 

Products and Services Usage Report 

Enter w

Table of Contents 

Introduction 3 

1. A Focus on Multi-Function Devices 7 

2. Not Stuck on Any Single Platform 13 

3. Cloud Services and Apps on the Rise 16 

4. Mobile Devices Unstoppable 

in the Workforce 19 

The Way Forward: 

The “Superstack” Imperative 20 

Final Thoughts 21 

Appendix: Additional Charts of Interest 22 

2013 Consumer Electronics Report | | 2 Retweet 


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With strong compound annual growth, the global 

consumer electronics industry remains bullish. While 

younger consumers have, for years, been eager to 

purchase new technologies, older age groups are 

showing optimistic purchase plans for 2013 as well. 

And emerging markets continue to 

strengthen their importance as consumers 

in these markets remain active buyers with 

strong purchase intentions for 2013. But 

underlying this growth is a competitive 

environment best characterized as an open 

playing field. Consumers are homing in on 

a small set of multi-function devices, yet 

they continue to experiment. 

Platform loyalty means little in their search 

for the apps and services that best meet their 

needs, whether in the home or on the go. 

For six consecutive years, Accenture’s 

Electronics & High Tech industry practice 

has conducted research to identify and 

track consumer technology trends. This 

year’s study, conducted in September and 

October of 2012, included a quantitative 

2013 Consumer Electronics Report | 3 Retweet 

online survey of more than 11,000 

consumers across 11 countries (Figure 1). 

This annual Accenture research is intended 

to help consumer technology executives 

better understand the purchase patterns 

and use of consumer technologies, gain 

deeper insights into global differences and 

understand the implications for future 

business performance. 


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Figure 1: Survey Demographics 

Gender 

Age 

Country 

Male 

>55 Years 

45-54 Years 

UK (New in 2012) 

South Africa 

Sweden 

France 

Germany 


50% 

9% 

9% 

26% 

18% 

9% 

9% 

9% 

20% 

9% 9% 

Source: The 2013 Accenture Consumer Electronics Products and Services Usage Report 

15% 

9% 

9% 

50% 

21% 

9% 

9% 

Female 

18-24 Years 

25-34 Years 

35-44 Years 

US 

Brazil 

Russia 

India 

China 

Japan 


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The open playing field represented by this 

year’s consumer electronics purchase and use 

data is underscored by four specific trends: 

1 3 

Consumers are focusing on fewer, multiplefunction 

devices. Purchase intentions for singlefunction 

devices are flattening or declining as 

smartphones, tablets, PCs and high-definition 

televisions climb at double-digit rates. Smartphones 

and tablets are accelerating the demise of most 

single-function devices as consumers shift activities 

such as reading and watching movies from eBook 

readers and DVD players to their multi-use devices. 

2 4 

Consumers are not locked into any single platform. 

Consumers know about the operating system of their 

devices and they appreciate the concept of using a 

single platform across devices. But the research does 

not suggest loyalty to a specific operating system. 

Consumers are open to experimenting; virtually no 

company or platform has a lock on their loyalty. 

2013 Consumer Electronics Report | 5 

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As consumers experiment and search for the 

technologies and services that best meet their 

needs, cloud-based services and apps are showing 

substantial increase in use. While a greater percentage 

of young consumers use online services than do older 

ones, a significant increase in use is occurring among 

both generations. Among apps, financial apps (such as 

mobile payments, banking and trading) and shopping 

apps are leading the growth in consumer usage. 

The increasing capabilities and rapid adoption 

of mobile multi-function devices are fueling the 

continued “consumerization” of IT in the workplace. 

As consumers increasingly do multiple activities on their 

mobile devices, they are also choosing to use these 

devices for work purposes and finding productivity 

improvements in doing so. 

The advent of smartphones, tablets and other mobile technologies has 

created a barrage of consumer activity and device adoption, providing 

consumer electronics and related companies with ample opportunity to 

innovate in device form factor, apps and online services. On the following 

pages, we explore Accenture’s research findings in more detail and discuss 

the implications they have for companies as they navigate this open market 

and work to win the hearts and wallets of consumers. 


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1. A Focus on Multi-Function Devices 

While the total number of product 

categories per household remains stable, 

many consumers are narrowing their 

technology interest to those devices that 

serve multiple functions. Purchase plans 

for 2013 are much more strongly focused 

on four product categories than in the 

previous years: smartphones, tablets, PCs 

and high-definition televisions (HDTVs). 

In fact, there’s a greater separation in 

purchase intent between these “Big 4” and 

other devices than Accenture’s research has 

ever shown (Figure 2). 

The focus on multi-function devices also 

reveals itself in ownership trends. From 

2011 to 2012 ownership of tablets among 

those we surveyed doubled. Ownership 

of digital cameras, DVD players, DVRs, 

portable music devices, portable game 

devices, and health and fitness devices 

remained flat or declined. When taking a 

longer view of trends from our research 

from 2009 to 2012, ownership of devices 

like smartphones, tablets and HDTVs grew 

strongly as expected (Figure 3). Devices 

with decreasing ownership are single-use 

products, including portable music players, 

DVD players and digital photo cameras, 

with functionality that is increasingly being 

integrated into multi-function devices. 

The contrast between ownership trends in 

multi-function and single-function devices 

is in some cases staggering. For example, 

smartphone ownership increased from 

26 percent in 2009 to 58 percent in 2012 

while ownership of digital photo cameras 

decreased from 77 percent in 2009 to 68 

percent in 2012. 

Figure 2: Purchase Intentions 


Which of these consumer electronics do you plan to purchase in the next 12 months? 

Multiple response. 

2012 (Planning to purchase in 2013) 

* “PC” combines laptop, desktop, ultrabook and netbook. 

** “HDTV” combines HDTV and 3DTV. 

Sample base: Total sample (11,101) 


36% 

PC* 

23% 

Tablet 

Digital photo camera 

11% 

50% 

0% 

11% 


41% 

Smartphone 

33% 

HDTV** 

Blu-ray DVD player 10% 10% Basic mobile phone 

Health and fitness device 9% 9% eBook reader 

Digital video camera 

8% 

Game console 7% 7% Digital home music system 

Portable gaming device 4% 4% Regular TV - CRT or tube 

DVR 

6% 

3% 3% 

GPS device 

Portable music player 

DVD player - not Blu-ray 

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Figure 3: Ownership Trends 

Which of the following consumer electronics do you currently own? Multiple response. 

Smartphone 

Tablet 

HDTV* 

Blu-Ray DVD player 

GPS device 

eBook reader 

PC** 



Health and fitness device 

DVR 


Regular TV-CRT or tube 

Basic mobile phone 

DVD player - not Blu-Ray 

8% 

14% 

26% 

28% 

25% 

7% 14%18% 24% 

6% 

7% 8% 14% 

13% 

22% 30%31%34% 

29% 

26% 

24% 

26% 

27% 

27% 

21% 

20% 

20% 

20% 

44% 

39% 

40% 

40% 


48% 

58% 

45% 51% 58%62% 

43% 47% 

55% 

63% 

58% 

64% 

77% 

75% 

73% 

68% 

* “HDTV” combines HDTV and 3DTV. 

** “PC” combines laptop, desktop, ultrabook and netbook. 

Sample base: Total sample US, Japan, Germany, France, China and India (~6,000 respondents every year) 


44% 

54% 

64% 

72% 

75% 

84% 

91% 

92% 

90% 94% 


2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

Increasing Ownership (above) 

Decreasing Ownership (below) 

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This data implies that over time massmarket 

single-function devices will be 

increasingly at risk. Exploring this trend we 

asked respondents about how their usage 

of other devices changes upon purchasing 

a tablet. In other words, what don’t they 

use once they have the tablet? The largest 

drop in usage of other devices among 

tablet owners occurs in single-function 

devices (Figure 4). About 40 percent of 

tablet owners use eBook readers and 

DVD players less often. In contrast, multifunction 

devices aren’t showing this 

decline. Only 24 percent of consumers 

use their smartphone less as a result of 

owning a tablet; an equal share increases 

use of their smartphone. 

In our comparable year-over-year sample 

of six countries, device usage is also 

concentrating on multi-function products 

(Figure 5). The PC remains the most-used 

device, but smartphones and HDTVs tie for 

second, with 55 percent of respondents 

ranking them among the five most-used 

devices. While some consumers may not 

consider the TV to be a multi-function 

device, those with an HDTV are increasingly 

using it that way. More than two-thirds of 

HDTV owners with Internet access have used 

their TV for Internet browsing, and more 

than one-third do it regularly (Figure 6). 

Figure 5: Most Frequently Used Devices 

PC 

HDTV 

Smartphone 

Tablet 

eBook reader 

Game console 

GPS 


Basic mobile 


Regular TV 


DVD player 



Portable gaming device 

DVR 

17% +14 

6% +5 

13% +4 

12% +1 

9% +4 

17% -4 

15% -15 

7% -2 

5% -2 

5% -3 

5% -5 

Figure 4: Use of Other Devices After Owning a Tablet 

36% -15 

33% -8 

55% 

55% 


Do you use your other devices more or less after purchasing your tablet? 

Use more Use the same Use less 

20% 

37% 

43% 

eBook Reader 

Base: 900 

Sample base: Device owners 


Of the consumer electronics devices you currently own, please rank the top five that you use most often. 

Top five products used in 2012 and percentage point change from 2010 to 2012. 

11% 

49% 

40% 

DVD Player 

Base: 1,800 

50% 

-17 

+8 

+30 

19% 

47% 

34% 

DVR 

Base: 744 

23% 

44% 

33% 

PC (desktop - 

laptop - netbook - 

ultrabook) 

Base: 2,584 

91% 

Increase between 2010 and 2012 

Decrease between 2010 and 2012 


TV 

Base: 2,570 

+2 

13% 

55% 

32% 

Significant level or 

growth in usage 

Sample base: Total sample (US, Japan, 

Germany, France, China and India) 

2010: 6,001 

2012: 6,057 

Source: The 2011 and 2013 Accenture Consumer 

Electronics Products and Services Usage Reports 

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25% 

51% 

24% 

Smartphone 

Base: 2,290 

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Figure 6: How HDTV Is Used 

Please indicate how you use your Internet-connected HDTV for the following activities. 

36% 

19% 

14% 

31% 

General web 

browsing 

24% 

30% 

15% 

31% 

View personal 

content such as 

photos 

Regarding activities that consumers 

spend time doing each week, some 

activities —particularly those that are 

well established among consumers, like 

emailing and texting—are predominantly 

conducted on a single device. However, 

many activities are now done on 

multiple devices, demonstrating 

consumers’ comfort with using the 

device that is most handy at the 

time. For example, while a majority 

of consumers use maps, listen to stored 

music and download new apps on their 

PCs, about half also do so on their mobile 

or smartphones (Figure 7). When it comes 

to watching shows and movies on demand, 

the use of the PC and TV are nearly tied: 

53 percent use their PC while 56 percent 

use TV. This flexibility to use any device is 

so important that half of consumers would 

consider paying extra to watch TV shows or 

movies on their computer. 


20% 

25% 

15% 

40% 

17% 

21% 

13% 

49% 

Access apps Access streaming 

services like Netflix 

and Spotify 

Use it on a regular basis (weekly or more) 

Use it occasionally 

Have tried it once or twice 

Have never tried it 

Sample base: 3,430 (Owners of HDTV 

with Internet connectivity) 

Source: The 2013 Accenture Consumer 

Electronics Products and Services Usage Report 

Furthermore, activities conducted on 

mobile devices that were once considered 

“emerging” are becoming more mainstream 

(Figure 8). Almost half of consumers 

already do or plan to make payments in 

stores using a mobile phone or tablet and 

about one-third do or plan to control home 

audio/video and home security with their 

mobile device. 


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Figure 7: Device Usage 

What device do you use for your activities? Multiple response. 

Device usage on the top 10 most popular activities. 

Emailing 

Searching for/reading general news 

and information on the Internet 

Texting - SMS - MMS 

Online banking and finance 

management (checking account, 

making transfers, paying bills) 

Watching broadcast TV or cable 

shows (at the time they are 

broadcast) 

Online shopping - eCommerce 

Using maps and global positioning; 

getting directions 

Listening to music stored 

on my device 

Playing games 

Connecting with people/playing 

games on social networking sites 

Downloading and using new apps 

Watching shows - movies - 

videos on demand 

2% 

7% 

2% 

3% 

6% 

5% 

3% 

4% 

5% 

4% 


14% 

14% 

14% 

11% 

16% 

13% 

13% 

14% 

9% 

21% 

20% 

18% 

11% 

11% 

13% 

17% 

25% 

28% 

35% 

38% 

40% 

39% 

Sample base: Respondents conducting the activity 


48% 

52% 

53% 

62% 

58% 

56% 

69% 

68% 

81% 

88% 

87% 

85% 

83% 

92% 

93% 

93% 


PC (Desktop - laptop - 

netbook - ultrabook) 

Mobile phone - 

smartphone 

Tablet computer 

TV 

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Figure 8: Activities Conducted on Mobile Devices 

Do you do any of the following over your mobile device (phone or tablet)? 

45% 

24% 

21% 

Make payments 

in stores 

35% 

13% 

22% 

Control home 

audio/video 

systems 

Monitor - 

control home 

locking systems 

Monitor - 

control heating/ 

air-conditioning 

systems 

Sample base: Respondents owning a smartphone or a tablet (7,080) 


Transfer health 

data (test 

results) to a 

remote location 


34% 

12% 

22% 

29% 

8% 

21% 

30% 

10% 

20% 

Yes 

No, but planning to 


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2. Not Stuck on Any Single Platform 

Most consumers are aware of the name of 

the operating system (OS) they have on their 

devices, especially on their smartphones 

(Figure 9). It is also clear that to most 

consumers, operating system is an important 

feature. When buying a new device, 

consumers prioritize price, device features 

such as screen size and resolution, and 

now, more frequently, security. However, 

operating system is also among the top five 

selection criteria for PCs and tablets. While 

touch screen and look and feel rank higher 

in importance than operating system for 

smartphones, OS is within the top seven 

selection criteria for these devices as well. 

(See Appendix Figure D.) 

Figure 9: Consumer Awareness of Operating Systems 

Percentage of consumers surveyed that know the operating system of their devices: 

Smartphone 

Tablet 

100% 

Ultrabook 

93% 

89% 

95% 

Netbook 

Laptop computer 

Desktop computer 

98% 98% 

Yet, our data shows that platform users are 

not as loyal as the “platform war” stories 

in the media indicate. While the majority 

are aware of the OS they have on devices, 

less than half of consumers think it’s very 

important to stay within one operating 

system for their devices (Figure 10). To 

investigate this trend further, we analyzed 

the responses of a segment of respondents 

100% 

we labeled “strong users” of a single 

93% 

platform, defined as those owning at least 

two devices that use the same operating 

system (see page 14: “Strong User 

Methodology”). Among the strong users of 

a single platform, only half think it’s very 

important to stay within one operating 

system for their devices. In fact, about 

one-fifth of this group actually seems to be 

Smartphone 

Tablet 

Ultrabook 


Sample base: Device owners (10,818) 

Source: The 2013 Accenture Consumer 

Electronics Products and Services Usage Report 

strong users by coincidence: They say they 

don’t have a preferred OS or don’t care 

what operating system they have. 

Furthermore, strong users offer more 

reasons than the overall consumer sample 

as to why they would buy devices on other 

platforms (Figure 11). About one-third of 

strong users indicate they would switch to 

another OS to see what 98% else is 98% 

out there in 

95% 

the 

89% 

market, to find a better user experience 

or to get access to more innovative services 

and applications. Continued curiosity and 

the drive for innovative services and user 

experiences appear to be more compelling 

than loyalty to any particular platform 

in the market today—creating more 

opportunity for market players. 

Netbook 

Laptop computer 


Desktop computer 

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Figure 10: Importance of Staying Within One Operating System 

How important is it for you to have all or almost all your devices using the same operating system? 

Total sample Strong users 

Extremely important 

Very important 

Somewhat important 

Hardly important at all 

Not at all important 

4% 

Sample base: Total sample (11,101) Strong users (1,388) 


“Strong User” Methodology 


13% 

To investigate the extent to which consumers have settled for a 

single operating system for their devices, and how the views of 

consumers who have done that differ from the rest, we created 

a segment of respondents we labeled “strong users” of a single 

platform. The following question was used to identify strong users 

of a specific operating system: Which operating system(s) do you 

have on the following devices (smartphone, tablet, ultrabook, 

netbook, laptop, desktop)? 

7% 

16% 

17% 

22% 

27% 

30% 

31% 

33% 


44% 

52% 

“Strong users” are defined as consumers owning: 

• At least two devices with the same operating system, either 

iOS (Apple), Android (Google-owned, used on multiple device 

brands) or Windows (Microsoft-owned, used on multiple device 

brands) 

• No more than one device using another operating system 

Consumers owning desktops, laptops or netbooks with Windows 

have been excluded from the analysis due to the predominance of 

Windows PCs in the market. Strong users account for 13 percent 

of the total sample. 

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Figure 11: Reasons for Switching to Another Operating System 

Complete the sentence with all that apply in the list: 

“Most of my mobile and computing devices use the same operating system. When buying 

a new device I might consider getting one with a different operating system because...” 

Total sample Strong users 

I want to see what else is out there on the market 

I think I could have a better user experience with 

another operating system 

I think I could get access to more innovative 

services and applications 

I think another operating system would 

mean less hassle 

I believe I could get a lower cost if I switched 

I think switching would bring me to a higher 

security level 

I think I could get a better synch with my 

in-car solution 

I don't have a dominant or preferred 

operating system 

I don't know or care what operating system 

I have on my devices 

Sample base: Total sample (11,101) Strong users (1,388) 



6% 

6% 

10% 

16% 

15% 

14% 

15% 

14% 

19% 

18% 

20% 

21% 

24% 

23% 

23% 


31% 

31% 

32% 

66% 

79% 

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3. Cloud Services and Apps on the Rise 

Our platform data shows that consumers 

are open to experimenting in search of the 

most satisfying devices and experiences. 

This search extends to the cloud. After 

all, if the typical consumer is not staying 

within one platform for all devices, then 

using cloud-based services that are 

accessible from all platforms is quite 

logical. A significant increase in use of 

online services has occurred in just one 

year (Figure 12). Usage increased—in many 

cases substantially—for all eight of the 

online services we queried: online mailbox 

services, games, photo storage, movie 

streaming, data backup, music streaming, 

calendaring and document creation. While 

a greater percentage of young consumers 

use online services than do older ones, a 

significant increase in the use of cloudbased 

services is occurring among both 

generations. 

Consumer use of technology is becoming 

more pervasive, driven by adoption of 

more capable multi-function devices, a 

growing technology maturity, and new 

cloud services and apps. In 11 of 15 

activities queried, the percentage of 

consumers we surveyed doing the activity 

in a typical week increased from 2010 to 

2012, sometimes substantially. Reading 

electronic books gained seven points, 

searching for information on the Internet 

gained 19 points and texting gained nine 

points. The percentage of consumers 

tweeting or micro-blogging in a typical 

week has doubled in two years, fueled 

largely by growth of micro-blogging in 

emerging markets. More than half of 

Chinese consumers we surveyed reported 

they micro-blog in a typical week. 

Among the activities consumers are doing 

each week, they are more and more often 

downloading new apps (Figure 13). The 

percentage of consumers we surveyed 

downloading apps in a typical week has 

increased eight points from 2010 to 2012. 

Among apps, usage of financial apps (such 

as mobile payments, banking and trading) 

and shopping apps are leading the way. 

Global Positioning: Evolving From Device to Differentiating App 

Since its introduction as a consumer device just over two decades 

ago, the Global Positioning System (GPS) has progressed through its 

life cycle from being a highly popular stand-alone device to slowly 

being replaced by map apps on a multitude of other consumer 

devices. GPS device ownership continues to grow slowly (34 percent 

own GPS devices now compared with 32 percent in 2011), but 

growth is certainly not at the rate of newer mobile technologies 

or even stationary devices such as Blu-Ray DVD players. 

By all indications, purchase rates for new GPS devices are slowing. 

Only seven percent of consumers purchased a GPS in the past 

12 months compared with 10 percent the prior year. Across the 

sample of six countries that have been surveyed for multiple years, 

eight percent plan to purchase a GPS device in 2013 compared to 

10 percent who planned to purchase one in 2009. 


As an activity, using maps, global positioning 

and getting directions showed dramatic 

growth, gaining 20 points since 2010 (see 

below: “Global Positioning: Evolving From 

Device to Differentiating App”). 

As the industry considers how to engage 

more fully in cloud services and apps, the 

interests of the strong users from our survey 

may provide helpful guidance, as these 

users demonstrate a curiosity and openness 

to innovation and experimentation. Sixty 

percent of strong users we surveyed already 

do or plan to make payments in stores from 

their mobile devices. Half of those strong 

users do or plan to control home locking 

systems and home audio/video systems from 

their mobile device. More than 40 percent do 

or plan to transfer health data to a remote 

location, such as test results from their 

mobile device, and the same amount do or 

plan to control heating and air-conditioning 

systems from their mobile device. 

Despite the cautious outlook for GPS devices, the activities 

of using web-based maps and global positioning and getting 

directions are showing dramatic growth, gaining 20 points 

since 2010. Together they show the greatest relative growth in 

participation of all the technology-based activities Accenture 

queried. Today, almost half (47 percent) of consumers we 

surveyed use global positioning in a typical week. To do so, 69 

percent use a PC, 48 percent use a mobile or smartphone, and 

13 percent use a tablet; 35 percent have a factory-installed 

GPS device in their car and 43 percent would like to have a GPS 

device installed in their next car. So while the GPS device is 

highly popular, its preferred form is now in a software app on a 

multi-function device. 


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Figure 12: Use of Online Services 

Which of the following online services do you use? Multiple response. 

Online mailbox service 

Online games 

Online photos - video storage 

Movies - shows streaming 

Online data backup - storage 

Music streaming 

Online calendar 

Online document creation (e.g., Google Docs) 

None of these 

Sample base: Total sample, excluding UK, for full comparison (10,099) 



12% 

12% 

18% 

16% 

17% 

26% 

26% 

24% 

30% 

29% 

27% 

27% 

37% 

35% 

37% 

41% 


75% 

77% 

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2012 

2011 

Next

Figure 13: Activities Done in a Typical Week 

Please indicate which of the following activities you do in a typical week. Multiple response. 

Searching for/reading general news and 

information on the Internet 

Emailing 

Online banking and finance management 

(checking account, making transfers, paying bills) 

Texting - SMS - MMS 

Watching broadcast TV or cable shows 

(at the time they are broadcast) 

Listening to music stored on my device 

Using maps and global positioning; 

getting directions 

Playing games 

Connecting with people/playing games on social 

networking sites 

Downloading and using new apps 

Managing personal digital photos and videos 

Listening to streaming music 

Reading electronic books 

Tweeting - micro-blogging 

Managing your health or that of family members 

11% 

27% 

25% 

18% 

15% 

23% 

29% 


61% 

58% 

51% 

49% 

53% 

44% 

48% 

39% 

42% 

40% 

40% 

39% 

37% 

36% 

35% 

35% 

29% 

26% 

Sample base: Total sample, excluding UK, South Africa and Sweden which were not in the 2010 sample 

2010: 8,002 

2012: 8,058 

Source: The 2011 and 2013 Accenture Consumer Electronics Products and Services Usage Reports 

47% 

58% 


80% 

78% 

82% 

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2012 

2010 

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4. Mobile Devices Unstoppable in the Workforce 

The increasing capabilities and rapid adoption of mobile multi–function devices are fueling 

continued consumer influence and control over devices and applications used in the workplace. 

Not only are consumers using these devices for work purposes, but they are finding productivity 

improvements in doing so. 

Consider, for example, how consumers use 

their smartphone for work purposes: Of 

those we surveyed, 82 percent text and 

66 percent email. But nearly one-third 

also use their smartphone for work-based 

social networking on sites such as LinkedIn 

and for using collaboration tools. Fourteen 

percent even do video conference calls 

by smartphone. The trends are similar in 

how consumers use their tablets for work 

purposes. Using their tablets, 64 percent 

email for work, 39 percent use workbased 

social networks, 33 percent use 

collaboration tools, 25 percent conduct 

video conferences and 23 percent conduct 

voice conferences. 

The majority of respondents believe using 

their consumer devices for these various work 

purposes improves their productivity. Nearly 

60 percent say it improves their productivity 

to take conference calls and use collaboration 

tools from their personal devices. 

Perhaps not surprising, generational 

preferences are clear in how consumers 

communicate using technology. Consumers 

we surveyed across generations use email 

to communicate for work purposes. Yet 

a smaller percentage of 18-24-year-olds 

(73 percent) use email in a typical week 

than their slightly older peers. Instead, 

to communicate digitally, 18-24-yearolds 

are doing significantly more texting, 

connecting with people over social media 

networks and tweeting on their device 

than older generations. Usage of the social 

networking sites (public and corporate) and 

collaboration and conferencing tools for 

work purposes is higher among younger 

consumers surveyed, who also rank the 

productivity improvement from using social 

networking sites higher. 

This finding aligns closely to a recent Cisco 

study that reveals how the need for Gen Y 

to stay connected drives every facet of 


this generation’s lives. 1 Ninety percent of 

Gen Y surveyed worldwide said they check 

their smartphones for updates in email, 

texts and social media sites as part of their 

morning ritual for getting ready for school 

or work, often before they get out of bed. 

They connect to live, checking for work 

updates and communicating at all hours 

from every place imaginable. For this age 

group, the lines between work and personal 

life are forever blurred. 

1. Cisco press release, 12 December, 2012: 

“Toothpaste, Toilet Paper, and Texting – Say Good 

Morning to Gen Y,” http://newsroom.cisco.com/ 

release/1114955 


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The Way Forward: The “Superstack” Imperative 

The trends identified in this year’s research confirm that the growth in purchase and use of 

smart, multi-functional devices has brought the platform (or operating system) into the consumer 

spotlight like never before. Yet, as much as consumers clearly appreciate the seamless user 

experience across devices and the easy installation and deployment that come with consistent 

use of a single platform, they don’t seem interested in getting locked into one solution when 

there is so much development going on in the market. 

As consumer technology companies 

continue to chart their course, they must 

have a clear niche for the single-function 

devices they offer. Single-function devices 

will continue to have a place as the 

source of new innovations. For example, 

the purchase intent for health and fitness 

monitoring devices rose significantly—and 

many of these need specific sensors that 

may keep them stand-alone for a while. 

Over time, however, we are likely to see the 

rapid integration of many new capabilities 

into multi-function devices. At the same 

time, different form factors for multifunction 

devices will emerge as technology 

companies innovate in hopes of identifying 

the combination of form and function that 

consumers desire. 

Executives across the consumer technology 

industry are looking at whom they compete 

and cooperate with in a new and more 

holistic way. We’ve seen Intel absorb 

McAfee to integrate security solutions 2 and 

Nokia acquire earthmine inc. to improve its 

3D map-making capabilities, 3 just to name 

a couple of examples. In a world driven 

by mobile, cloud and consumerization, 

companies must envision their future 

development more strategically, across all 

layers, and effectively and tightly integrate 

a vertical “superstack” of chipsets, devices, 

operating systems, applications and 

services either on their own or through 

acquisitions and innovative alliances. 

Our research indicates the time is right 

to focus on apps and cloud services in a 

more extensive way and in the context of 

achieving the superstack that consumers 

value. With Internet-connected apps 

embedded in home and personal devices 

from televisions to thermostats, the apps 

and services consumers value may be 

as important—and drive more purchase 

decisions—than the device. This may mean 

that to stay relevant, device makers need 

to work across their ecosystems to combine 

the best features of the platform (seamless 

experience and content transfer) with 

cloud-based, platform-agnostic services 

and functionality to provide consumers 

with the flexibility they desire. 

2. Intel press release, 10 August 2010: 

http://newsroom.intel.com/community/intel_ 

newsroom/blog/2010/08/19/intel-to-acquire-mcafee 

3. Nokia press release, 21 November, 2012: 

http://press.nokia.com/2012/11/21/nokiacompletes-acquisition-of-earthmine-inc 

2013 Consumer Electronics Report | 20 Retweet Table of Contents Previous Next

Final Thoughts 

Across geographies and market segments, demand for consumer technologies remains high. 

In the shifting landscape of increasingly multi-function devices, and compelled by consumer 

willingness to experiment, industry players have tremendous opportunity to change the game 

to win. Innovating on the superstack to deliver compelling new form factors, apps and cloud 

services that further embed the use of technology into consumers’ lives will be critical. The 

nature of the applications will expand from entertainment and communications to financial 

services, home management and productivity. 

To compete in this playing field, many consumer technology players will need to fundamentally 

restructure their approach to R&D to focus on the creation of the superstack, with emphasis on 

the ability to do the needed software development for the apps and services. For many, it will 

also mean more flexible operations to support rapid response to shifting market demand and the 

production and distribution of more varied and differentiated devices. Finally, customer-centricity 

is paramount in designing compelling user experiences and establishing the right ecosystem to 

deliver them. 

The combination of intense desire for innovation and willingness to experiment with platforms 

and brands opens up tremendous opportunities for consumer electronics companies to win the 

hearts and wallets of consumers. Future winners will be those companies that identify and create 

cohesive consumer technology superstacks through innovation and integration of computing 

form factor, cloud services and highly versatile apps. 


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Appendix: 

Additional Charts of Interest 


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Figure A: Purchases in Last 12 Months 

Which of these consumer electronics have you purchased in the last 12 months? Multiple response. 

Smartphone 

PC* 

HDTV** 


Tablet 


GPS device 


eBook reader 

Game console 



Regular TV - CRT or tube 




DVR 



Sample 2012 base: Total sample, excluding UK, for full comparison 

2012: 2011 10,099 

2011: 10,021 



2% 

4% 

6% 

5% 

4% 

4% 

4% 

4% 

4% 

4% 

4% 

5% 

5% 

5% 

6% 

6% 

6% 

7% 

7% 

7% 

7% 

7% 

11% 

10% 

12% 

14% 

16% 

19% 

18% 

21% 

25% 

26% 


32% 

34% 

Previous 

DVD player - not Blu- 

DVR 

2012 

2011 

Next

Figure B: Purchase Intentions in Mature and Emerging Markets 

Which of these consumer electronics do you plan to purchase in the next 12 months? Multiple response. 

Smartphone 

PC* 

HDTV** 

Tablet 


GPS device 



eBook reader 



Game console 

Digital home music system 



Regular TV - CRT or tube 

DVR 







2% 

3% 

3% 

3% 

5% 

4% 

4% 

4% 

2% 

4% 

8% 

6% 

7% 

7% 

6% 

6% 

5% 

10% 

10% 

9% 

8% 

11% 

13% 

13% 

12% 

16% 

15% 

14% 

16% 

20% 

29% 

31% 

33% 

43% 

46% 

50% 

Mature markets: Germany, France, 

Japan, Sweden and US 

Emerging markets: Brazil, Russia, 

India, China and South Africa 


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Figure C: Average Spending (Last 12 Months and Planned) 

In the past 12 months approximately how much have you spent on consumer 

electronics? And how much do you plan to spend in the next 12 months? 

China 

Brazil 

Russia 

Japan 

India 

South Africa 

Germany 

France 

Sweden 

US 

UK 




$940 

$927 

$904 

$957 

$869 

$848 

$847 

$1,080 

$1,046 

$1,031 

$1,068 

$1,012 

$1,010 

$970 

$960 

$1,082 

$1,164 

$1,251 

$1,225 

$1,323 

$1,289 

$1,489 

Average spent in the past 12 months (USD) 

Purchase plans in the next 12 months (USD) 


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Figure D: Importance of Features to Purchase Decision 

How important are the following features when determining what products to purchase in the below categories? 

Extremely important/important features 

Price 

Security solution against hackers, identity theft, etc. 

Screen resolution 

Size of screen 

Operating system (e.g., iOS, Android, Windows) 

Easy (”Plug and play”-type) setup to connect 

with my other devices 

Newest technology to reduce power consumption 

(e.g., OLED) 

Device size 

Product brand 

Design/look and feel 

Ability to use favorite social networking application 

Range of available applications (apps) for download 

Ability to use your preferred payment solutions 

(e.g., PayPal) 

Shareable photo solution 

Ability to use your preferred streaming music service 

Ability to synchronize content with your in-car system 

Shareable video solution 

Touchscreen 

Voice recognition technology 

3D screen 


75% 

71% 

67% 

64% 

63% 

55% 

53% 

53% 

48% 

47% 

46% 

42% 

41% 

35% 

31% 

30% 

28% 

27% 

21% 

19% 



PC Tablet TV Smartphone 

69% 

66% 

63% 

59% 

57% 

53% 

52% 

46% 

55% 

51% 

45% 

37% 

34% 

30% 

34% 

28% 

23% 

19% 

49% 

54% 

28% 

19% 

22% 

25% 

19% 

23% 

21% 

23% 

17% 

18% 

29% 

41% 

50% 

58% 

50% 

60% 

54% 


73% 

72% 

72% 

17% 

Previous 

34% 

68% 

65% 

61% 

58% 

54% 

50% 

49% 

56% 

50% 

43% 

37% 

31% 

36% 

27% 

28% 

49% 

57% 

54% 

Next

Figure E: Apps in Use 

Are you using any of the following types of apps? 

Have stopped using 

Information (e.g., news, weather, sports) 

Navigation (e.g., maps, guides) 

Entertainment (e.g., music, single or 

group games, videos) 

Financials (e.g., mobile payments, banking, 

trading) 

Networking (e.g., social/professional networks) 

Shopping (e.g., groceries, clothes, shoes, auctions) 

Work related 

Traveling (e.g., airplane - train tickets, 

traffic updates) 

Personal organization (e.g., weekly planning, 

household bookkeeping, budget calculator) 

Leisure activities (e.g., event dates, cooking, 

booking restaurants) 

Education (e.g., language learning programs, 

reference works) 

Do not use or plan to use 

Fitness and health (e.g., health records, training 

planning, nutrition guide) 

Sample base: Total sample, excluding UK, for full comparison (10,099) 


Plan to use in the next 12 months 

3% 24% 8% 65% 

4% 28% 

15% 53% 

4% 34% 

11% 51% 

4% 33% 

13% 50% 

5% 35% 

11% 50% 

4% 34% 

16% 46% 

6% 42% 

12% 41% 

5% 38% 

20% 36% 

6% 45% 

16% 33% 

5% 49% 

16% 30% 

6% 50% 

18% 26% 


Currently use 

6% 53% 

19% 23% 


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Accenture is a global management 

consulting, technology services and 

outsourcing company, with approximately 

259,000 people serving clients in more 

than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled 

experience, comprehensive capabilities 

across all industries and business functions, 

and extensive research on the world’s 

most successful companies, Accenture 

collaborates with clients to help them 

become high-performance businesses and 

governments. The company generated net 

revenues of US$27.9 billion for the fiscal 

year ended Aug. 31, 2012. Its home page 

is www.accenture.com. 

Copyright © 2013 Accenture 

All rights reserved. 

Accenture, its logo, and 

High Performance Delivered 

are trademarks of Accenture. 

This document is produced by consultants at Accenture 

as general guidance. It is not intended to provide 

specific advice on your circumstances. If you require 

advice or further details on any matters referred to, 

please contact your Accenture representative.

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