Home tech trends to look out for in 2024

With smart home systems and the “Internet of Things” breaking into mainstream use, UK touchscreen manufacturer Zytronic discuss some of the tech trends we can expect to see in our homes in the near future.

Until recent years, the idea of the “smart home” was something limited to tech conventions and proof of concepts. However, the growing affordability of this technology, combined with the soaring popularity of home improvement trends as a result of lockdown and increased home working, means that smart home technology is quickly catching on.

The idea of standalone smart home devices is becoming increasingly outdated as we move towards an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled future, wherein everything in our home is part of a single digital infrastructure.

2023 saw huge strides towards greater IoT integration, as everything from lights, entertainment, heating, security and appliances become part of a wider smart network. Although systems like these have largely been used by early adopters and tech enthusiasts thus far, smart home technology is now reaching mainstream levels.

Sixty per cent of UK homes now have a smart speaker, up from 20 per cent in 2019. Meanwhile, recent data indicates just 11 per cent of Brits have zero smart home devices of any kind: these technologies are increasingly forming wider smart “ecosystems” in the home. 

Companies like Amazon, Apple and Google are all pushing smart speakers—not only as a single product—but also as a gateway to their other linked smart services. For example, in 2020, Google offered a free Nest Mini smart speaker to all Spotify Premium users as part of its effort to gain a further foothold in the smart ecosystem market.

Smart home integrations are starting to extend beyond our portable devices and speakers and into everyday furniture. From glass tables that wirelessly charge your smartphone to home sofas that provide an immersive 4D motion experience when consuming games and movies, smart technology is filtering down to every aspect of home life. We’ve even seen the introduction of permissions-based door locks which integrate fingerprint scammers and smartphone authentication.

The launch of new consumer technologies like Zytronic’s ElectroglaZ, which allows for transparent power delivery through a pane of glass, opens even further possibilities down the line for furniture applications in homes.

Self-driving cars may be legal on UK roads by 2025, meaning that the British driving experience is on the brink of change. The British car industry is already within a state of flux—in December 2023, 19.7 per cent of all new car registrations were electric cars, and that figure will continue to rise as we move towards our net zero goals. 

This shift in driving trends is already impacting home design, with all homes built since June 2022 legally required to have electric vehicle charging points. As of 2021, there were over 300,000 private EV chargers in UK homes. Public chargers numbered 53,906 in December 2023, and that figure is rising dramatically. 

Meanwhile, more and more existing homes are incorporating garages and parking setups that accommodate self-driving experiences, such as vehicle charging points and garage doors that open as they sense your vehicle approaching home.

Though a growing number of businesses are ditching their work-from-home policies, a large portion of the UK’s workforce are still making the most of a hybrid arrangement, with just one in four companies expecting their workforce to be entirely office-based over the next five years.

As a result, the tech industry around working from home is continuing to boom. Home office technology such as smart water bottles that track your water intake, motorised desks that move from standing to sitting modes and smart posture training tools to remind you not to slouch at your home desk are fast gaining popularity as the working from home and hybrid work models look to be here for the long term.

Amazon’s Astro, a small roving camera bot for the home, promises users a helpful hand around the home and much more. The device’s facial recognition system, advanced navigation and obstacle avoidance system make it the perfect home security measure; Astro will autonomously patrol your home and investigate unusual events through motion and sound detection. As well as accounting for factors such as the sound of breaking glass or a fire alarm, Astro can also be used to check whether you turned off the oven or locked the front door.

Meanwhile, Alarm.com’s Ambient Insights uses AI to recognise contextual information in the event of an alarm. The system uses this data to alert emergency services in the event of a fire, reducing the chances of a false alarm or unnecessary dispatch of emergency services by allowing users time to cancel an alarm if the system believes the alarm has been set off in error.

Ownership of health tracking technology, which gives the user more visibility over different aspects of their body’s health, has been growing in recent years. With 22 per cent of UK adults using a smart watch such as an Apple Watch or a FitBit, sleep tracking has become a huge part of this industry. Now, sleep cycles can be monitored and regulated with ease and healthier sleeping habits are promoted.

Other growing forms of health tracking tech include smart homes that support “ageing in place” and assist vulnerable people who live alone. From allowing family members to video call and check in on their relatives to providing users with live physiotherapist sessions or smart pill dispensers, smart technology is rapidly enabling new levels of confidence in independent living.

It’s an exciting time for home technology as the category evolves faster than ever and new developments bring greater convenience, comfort and efficiency to our lives. Smart home adoption is increasing at a breakneck pace, and brings with it a vast range of exciting innovations—which are you most excited about?