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Summary
The role and influence of connected major home appliances within smart homes is on the rise as brands emphasize personalization and affordability. As consumers spend more time at home, major home appliance usage will inevitably increase, leading to higher energy bills and decreased satisfaction with subpar interfaces and results. However, connected major home appliances aim to add and improve experiences through extensive personalization and automation.
Fewer than 10% of appliances connected
In 2020, there were an estimated 54.6 million connected major home appliances shipped globally, increasing to about 175 million annual shipments in 2025, according to the latest Connected Major Home Appliances Report from Omdia.
In total, 8% of all major home appliances globally were connected, and China led all countries in 2020, representing 48% of the global shipments of connected major home appliances. The US was second, followed by India and Japan. In terms of household penetration, 12% (about 1 out of 10) of households in the US were estimated to have a connected major home appliance in 2020.
The report also found that room air conditioners were the most popular connected appliance type, followed by washing machines and refrigerators. In a recent survey spanning twelve countries, Omdia found that about 17% (nearly 1 out of 5) respondents reported owning a smart kitchen appliance, nearly 2 percentage points higher than thermostat and smart door lock ownership.
Brands enhancing apps and functionality
Despite the potential of connected major home appliances, brands have struggled to showcase the value of these appliances to consumers, leading many connected appliances to be underutilized. To combat this challenge, brands have consolidated mobile apps so consumers can control and automate appliances across an entire portfolio. Examples include hOn by Candy, SmartThings by Samsung, U+ by Haier, and Home Connect by BSH Home.
Omdia believes the consolidation of apps and a reduction in the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) will breathe new life into the home appliance industry. In fact, brands are looking to reduce the artificial intelligence (AI) of these appliances to reach more consumers. As a result, more appliances are expected to have Wi-Fi functionality at entry-level pricing, which means consumers will not have to spend $4,000 or more to get some of the benefits of these connected appliances.
Overall, the impact of connected major home appliances will be amplified by a shift in energy standards, like in China with room air conditioners, and with energy labels, like in the EU. Moreover, home builders are starting to influence connected home appliance adoption and Omdia expects that multifamily property managers could also benefit. Even so, home appliance brands are diligently working to identify new features and services that will provide tangible benefit to consumers, from leasing models and replenishment, to the user interface and AI.
Figure 1: World market for smart connected and non-connected MHA proportion of shipments, 2017–25
Source: Omdia
Appendix
Further reading
Connected Major Home Appliances Report – 2021 Analysis (April 2021)
Author
Blake Kozak, Senior Principal Analyst, Components & Devices | Smart Home