83% of customers have difficulty using their intelligent device, Accenture’s recent digital consumer study has found.

Of the 24,000 consumers from 24 countries polled, 21% found the products were too complicated to use, 19% had issues with devices not setting up properly and the device not working as advertised.

Consumers ranked ‘ease of use’ the most important aspect when deciding which intelligent device to purchase, leaving a gap between what consumers want and what they get.

Purchase intent from 2014 to 2015 indicates there will be a decrease in the purchasing of tablets, HDTVs and smartphones. The research has revealed the consumer electronic industry is about to face another “tidal wave of change”.

Consumers are moving away from tablets, HDTVs and smartphones as they plan to spend their money on in-vehicle entertainment systems, fitness monitors, smartwatches and home surveillance cameras.

Brand trust is another key factor according to 21% of those surveyed for the report, titled, ‘Engaging the Digital Consumer in the New Connected World’. Almost half of those purchasing smartphones gave their reasoning as ‘I like this brand’ and one third indicated they already owned devices from the same brand.

“High tech companies need to go back to the drawing board and rethink their product development approaches to focus on the entire customer experience,” said Sami Luukkonen, managing director for Accenture’s Electronics and High Tech Group.

According to Accenture, consumer electronic companies will need to do three things to ensure these devices reach their full market potential:

1. Offer phenomenal customer experience right out of the box,
2. break through a crowded marketplace with strong digital brands, and
3. provide a level of security and privacy that will inspire a level of consumer trust.

In a digital marketplace where social media and word of mouth are highly influential on purchase decisions, “early adopters must be satisfied in order for these products to move toward mainstream use,” the report says.