Could you be missing out on the latest smart tech features?

Twenty three percent of Brits use less than half of the functions on their smart gadgets and technology, sticking with preset and default settings, according to a survey of 2,000 UK adults by gadgets and technology etailer, LaptopsDirect.co.uk published in the Technology Forecast Report 201.

Twenty six admit to paying for High Definition (HD) satellite channels but not always watching them, with a third (32%) saying they often forget the HD versions of their favourite channels are available.

It is a similar story when it comes to watching films, with 36% confessing to watching standard definition DVDs on their HD and BluRay players.

One in ten (11%) said slow internet speeds have prevented them from using the smart functions on their gadgets and technology.

However, 46% say they know how to use the smart functionality on the gadgets in their homes, and 50% claim to use the apps on their smart TV regularly, showing that not all features and functions gather dust.

The USB function (66%) was the most commonly used function on smart televisions followed by the Bluetooth function (50%) and on-demand TV apps (50%).

While less than one in six (14%) said they had used the internet browser function, making it the least utilised smart tech function. Television instant messenger apps (19%) and social media apps (23%) also made the top three least used smart gadget functions.

Mark Kelly, Marketing Manager at LaptopsDirect.co.uk said: “The research shows that despite technology and gadgets being capable of elaborate functions, they are not always used, with Brits not knowing how to use certain settings or forgetting that they have the ability to do so. However, 50% of respondents said they would still buy a model with the latest capabilities despite not knowing how to use them."