• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, May 16, 2014

According to a new study by the Consumer Electronics Association, 64% of U.S. households now own smartphones, surpassing ownership of basic cell phones (at 51%), for the first time. The studyalso shows consumer appetite for mobile products remains, and the mobility trend will continue in 2014 with four of the top five planned purchases this year focused on a mobile lifestyle.

Over the last year, the highest gains in household penetration came from Internet-enabled TVs, Blu-ray Disc players, tablets, smartphones and portable wireless speakers.

Kevin Tillmann, senior research analyst, market research at CEA “… consumers continue to embrace a connected lifestyle in the home and on the go… now turning to… emerging connected products… smart watches, connected fitness devices and smart thermostats…”

With large installed bases of mobile and connected devices, households are beginning to reveal some interest in new tech products, says the report:

• Smart watch ownership is currently under 2%, but expected to more than triple by 2015
• Similarly, 8% of households expect to own a fitness activity tracker by next year, up from 5% in 2014
• smart thermostats is expected to grow from 3% of households to 5% of households by next year

Concluding, the report notes that, despite the continued growth of online retail sales, 85% of U.S. households purchasing CE products in the last year did so at brick-and-mortar retail stores. Overall, households that bought CE devices over the past year say they are 49% more likely to make CE purchases online in the year to come,

 For more information about the 16^th Annual Household CE Ownership and Market Potential Study, please visit here.