Connected Devices

How many connected devices are out there?

IoT is everywhere and surrounds us from the moment we get out of bed. In simple terms, IoT refers to all the gadgets, machines, buildings, and more, that connect to the web. All these appliances are connected and share information digitally, on a global scale.

By the end of 2018, there was an estimated 22 billion internet of things (IoT) connected devices in use around the world. According to Statista, the number of internet of things (IoT) connected devices worldwide will be 38.6 billion by 2025. Additionally, forecasts suggest that by 2030 around 50 billion of these IoT devices will be in use worldwide, creating a massive web of interconnected devices spanning everything from smartphones to kitchen appliances.

This is an indication of how the Internet of Things ecosystem is growing and shifting every single year. The number of connected devices will get to be ridiculously high in no time.

1. The number of connected devices in 2021 is set to hit 46 billion.

(Source: Juniper Research)

According to Juniper Research’s latest report, the number of IoT devices in 2021 will reach the eye-opening 46 billion. For comparison, this is a 200% increase compared to 2016.

2. By the end of 2021, 31 new billion IoT devices will be installed around the world.

(Source: Security Today)

If you’ve ever wondered how many new IoT devices there will be by 2021, we can now tell you – around 31 billion. Meaning that by the end of 2021, 31 new billion IoT devices will be in use worldwide. A significant rise in the existing number of IoT devices last year.

3. By 2030, this figure is expected to jump to 125 billion.

(Source: Martech Advisor)

It is expected that every customer of IoT devices will own around 15 connected devices. Quite a jump from the average number of devices currently owned.

4. The average number of connected devices per household in the US in 2020 was 10.

(Source: Statista)

Subsequently, households may be investing in more connected devices because of the demand for home gateways, devices that actually bring the internet into homes and allow Wi-Fi throughout.

5. The IoT market value will be over $500 billion by 2021.

(Source: Statista)

Industry players predict that the market share for IoT-connected devices will be worth a whopping $520 billion by Q4 of 2021. The system integrations category will account for 22% of this figure.

6. 35% of manufacturers utilize data from automation in manufacturing.

(Source: GlobeNewsWire)

We mostly think of IoT applications to be at home and perhaps the office. Stats for the usage of IoT devices in 2021, however, show that pops up in manufacturing as well.

Over a third of manufacturers used data from sensors or analysis. The technology contributed to an improvement in factory functions hence a competitive edge.

7. By 2022, Google Home will have the largest IoT devices market share, at 48%.

(Source: Futurum Research)

There are a number of different smart speakers out there. However, Google Home is expected to have the largest slice of the pie at 48%, followed by Amazon Alexa at 37% and finally the Apple HomePod at a mere 12%.

8. The use of low-power networking systems and satellites will grow by 20% in 2021.

(Source: IoT World Today)

In the last few years, there has been a lot of focus on the application of 5G technology in relation to IoT. Statistics show that the adoption of satellites and other technologies will grow by a quarter to power IoT devices by 2021.

Therefore, companies or homeowners will have various options to choose from. Home lighting and factory machinery, for instance, don’t need to use the same connectivity. People should also consider cost, speed, or even safety.

9. There are currently six main categories for IoT wireless tech.

(Source: BEHRTECH)

They include:

• LPWANs. – provide long-range communication on small, cheap batteries that last for years. Their aim is to support large-scale IoT networks over large sites.

• Cellular (3G/4G/5G) – phone networks help with phone calls and video streaming. However, they are expensive to run and are very power-intensive.

• Zigbee and other mesh protocols – short-range, wireless, and low power standard using sensor data and nodes. Boasts high data rates but isn’t power-efficient as LPWAN.

• Bluetooth and BLE – short-range communication tech which enables data exchange across multiple nodes. A low-power version was invented for small consumer IoT applications.

• Wi-Fi – not as common in the IoT space due to problems with scalability, coverage, and power use.

• RFID – known as radio frequency identification, radio waves transmit data from an RFID tag to a reader at a short distance. Commonly used for logistics and retail.

10. The smart home market will grow by $54 billion by 2022.

(Source: Statista)

The smart home segment is expanding rapidly. Predictions are that it will increase by nearly $54 billion in 2022. People will focus on entertainment, lighting, appliances, and temperature.

11. By 2025, the IoT data volume will be 79.4 zettabytes.

(Source: Statista)

Experts predict that data usage will be about 80 zettabytes by 2025. The so-called Big Data 2.0. That’s simply mind-blowing!

12. The number of networked device ownership worldwide will be 3.6 per person in 2023.

(Source: Cisco)

According to the Cisco IoT forecast, ownership of the interconnected machines will double by 2023. On a global scale, 2.1 per capita will be the increase in possession of connected gadgets in the next few years compared to 2018 data.

The breakdown in different regions is as follows:

• 13.4 in North America

• 3.1 in South America

• 9.4 in Western Europe

• 4.0 in Eastern and Central Europe

• 1.5 in Africa and the Middle East

The Future is Connected and that is to our benefit. We have more digital data generated in parallel.

We cannot evade the technological revolution. Connectivity brings numerous benefits. Therefore, it will soon become something as natural as electricity or tap water.

The number of IoT devices in 2021 is nothing compared to what the future holds. Connectivity opens up a world of new possibilities while introducing new risks. This is something great for us, all these devices live in parallel with our daily lives and they capture metadata that can backup bits of our daily memories. If these bits are connected and indexed they can draw a very accurate picture of our memories, maybe more accurate than our inner self-perception of it.