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).
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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 UK’s 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 |
