Hong Kong maintained its status of having the world's most connected population in 2016, according to the latest Connected Consumer Index from GfK.
The index incorporates consumer adoption of 11 different device types - smartphone, tablet, mobile PC, desktop PC, wearables, smart TV, TV set-top box, videogame console, e-reader, connected car and smart home.
Hong Kong topped the overall ratings with an index score of 1,486, up from 1,430 in 2015. This compares to a global average score of just 313, a score of 1,062 for second-ranked America, and a score of 801 for Hong Kong's nearest Asian competitor Singapore.
In Hong Kong, as with the rest of Asia, high connected consumer scores are in large part attributable to strong smartphone adoption.
But growth drivers for Hong Kong and other developed Asian markets have now moved to the next wave of consumer connectivity, according to GfK managing director for Southeast Asia Stanley Kee.
“Wearables are now the ‘in-thing’, together with connected cars and both these are providing new consumer benefits. Smart home technology is an equally significant opportunity, but expected to be slower and steadier in terms of the consumer adoption curve,” he said.
“As technology continues to evolve and mature at their own pace in individual markets, we are increasingly seeing that local country drivers are having a relatively bigger impact on growth, as opposed to global or regional trends – with consumers connecting in ever bigger numbers and different ways.”