Humble TV the device households value most, over laptops and phones

TVs still rule the domestic roost with a new tech survey indicating that most households value the humble telly most of all.

A survey of 1,000 people in Ireland, by high street retailer Argos, shows the average household has 13 technology devices and eight different types of technology device.

The most common devices in order of popularity are laptops, cameras, DVD players, smartphones, headphones, music players, PCs, and TVs.

However, asked about the top three devices families cannot live without, the television led the way, with 31% of respondents claiming it was an essential component in the home. Laptops were favoured by 24% and PCs by 15%.

About 37% of house- hold members spend at least 15 hours online per week, while many still use laptops and PCs to go online.

The survey indicates that just 5% look for their handsets as soon as they wake up, compared to the 46% who made for the bathroom first. and the 9% who make a hot drink before doing anything else.

Andy McClelland of Argos Ireland said: “This research really highlights how technology devices have become an integral part of Irish home life. It also shows that there are multiple devices in the home, for example an average of two smartphones and two sets of headphones per household.

“Surprisingly, smartphones didn’t make the top three devices that people can’t live without, with TVs still reigning supreme as the essential home technology.”