THE average adult will spend £65,000 over their lifetime – on gadgets.
A study of 2,000 consumers revealed they will each fork out £4,742 on mobile phones, as well as £3,625 on televisions and £11,774 on kitchen appliances.
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Laptops will total £4,074, while gaming enthusiasts will spend £2,804 on consoles.
Other everyday technology such as tablets will cost around £3,352, and the emergence of the smart watch, will result in a cost of £2,684 during an adult lifespan.
It also emerged that more than a quarter of Brits say they feel a ‘need’ to keep up with others when buying new tech.
And one in eight admitted to buying a new gadget, purely to show off to friends and family.
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A spokesman from The Big Phone Store, which commissioned the research, said: “A huge amount of money is spent on technology, but it doesn’t always have to be that way.
“The tech industry relies enormously on the concept of newness, and that the newest gadget is always better than the one that came before.
“However, this isn’t always the case, and there are often huge savings to be made by picking up ‘last year’s’ model – whether that’s a phone, a fridge or a TV.”
The study also found that 15 per cent of those polled see themselves as ‘early adopters’ of tech, who like to keep up with the latest trends.
But seven in 10 prefer to wait until items have been out a while so they drop in price before making a purchase.
It also emerged that 61 per cent prefer, when possible, to buy their gadgets outright rather than paying a monthly sum.
When it comes to phones, 48 per cent try and buy the handset in full, while just 38 per cent will opt for a contract with a provider.
But nearly nine in 10 believe mobile phones should be much cheaper than they are to buy outright.
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The research, carried out via OnePoll, also revealed that Brits are slightly more likely to want a new gadget to last them a long time, than fulfil its core functionality.
And as purse strings tighten after a difficult 2020, nearly seven in 10 believe value for money is more important than ever this Christmas.
The Big Phone Store’s spokesman added: “Our results found Brits want certain electrical items to last longer than others.
“White goods like dishwashers or fridges are expected to last the best part of a decade, whereas phones get swapped out far more frequently.
“This is often for no reason other than to keep up with the latest trends, even though the ‘old’ handsets work perfectly well.
“However, this works out well for savvy shoppers, who can pick up older or refurbished phones at knockdown prices.”
To find out whether you’re up to speed with the latest tech – or a bit of a dinosaur – take the quiz, here.
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In other news, check out our review of the iPhone 12 Mini.
Read our verdicts on the Xbox Series X and PS5 – if you can buy either.
And take a look at our 2020 Christmas tech gift guide.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
