Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Smart thermostats are tough sell, but ComEd hopes rebates boost interest

A study released this month by Parks Associates found only 18 percent of consumers would buy a smart thermostat at $250, but offering a $100 rebate more than doubled the pool of interested buyers.

"The market for smart thermostats is still in the early adopter phase," said Tom Kerber, director of internet of things strategy for Parks Associates, a Texas-based consumer technology research and consulting company. "To move beyond early adopters, they have to offer products at a lower price point."

Kerber said prices for the first-generation smart thermostats started at about $400 but have dropped to about $250 for Nest and other leading products. He said breaking through the $150 price point opens it up to a broader market.

From the article "Smart thermostats are tough sell, but ComEd hopes rebates boost interest" by Robert Channick.

Previously In The News

Voice Control for Connected Entertainment: Challenges and Opportunities

Smart speakers are becoming a more common platform for controlling connected entertainment due to a rapid increase in popularity and ease of use. Household penetration of smart speakers is expected to...

Consumers Balk at Premium Smartphone Prices

"Parks Associates consumer survey data finds that between 2014 and 2018, the average amount paid by U.S. broadband households on their most recently purchased smartphone doubled from a mean of $258 to...

AR in Harry Potter Game Is Next Best Thing to Real Magic

"Since Pokémon Go first launched in 2016, we've seen a number of other AR games launch as well," said Kristen Hanich, senior analyst at Parks Associates. However, none have risen to the same level...

AI Meets VR in New Nvidia Tech

"Currently, VR content creation is prohibitively costly, and it is difficult to create the kinds of experiences consumers are looking for," explained Kristen Hanich, a research analyst with Dallas, Te...