Google’s top 10 trending consumer tech searches
Canadians did their research when it came to new tech products in 2017. Many of these items were on people’s radar long before they hit the market, while others required special attention, especially when it came to fixing bugs or resolving preorder issues. Here are Google Canada’s top 10 searches in the consumer tech category.
iPhone 8
The iPhone 8 hit Canadian markets in late September, and while it wasn’t much of an upgrade from the iPhone 7, it was the more affordable option compared to the more-hyped iPhone X, which released a few weeks later in November. Consumers had to weigh the two options and decide if the additional $300 for the iPhone X was worth it.
iPhone X
Following in the footsteps of the iPhone 8, Apple released the iPhone X to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone. Despite a lack of overall innovation, the iPhone X stormed past both the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in overall adoption. Consumers gravitated towards the iPhone X’s dual 12 megapixel cameras and FaceID systems, which Apple claimed would be next to impossible to trick.
Nintendo Switch
Canadian consumers were put off by the fact that Nintendo’s previous home console, the Wii U, wasn’t a portable system (while it could connect to the system wirelessly, the Wii U’s controller couldn’t leave the house) – and this was reflected in its sales, as the Wii U sold only 13.5 million units worldwide. Consumers wanted to make sure the Nintendo Switch was what it was advertised to be: A system that could be played at home or on the go. To date, the Switch has already sold more than 10 million units worldwide since its March release.
Instant Pot
In the U.S., pressure cooker sales have gone up every year since 2010. In 2017, Instant Pot went pedal to the metal with its marketing, claiming it was a single kitchen appliance that did the work of seven kitchen gadgets. Consumers seemed to take notice and either performed extra research on the Canadian-designed pressure cooker or purchased one online.
Xbox One X
It’s no wonder the Xbox One X made it into Google’s top 10 tech searches in Canada. In addition to its confusing name, the Xbox One X struggled to find a market audience, and consumers had to really dig deep to decide if the console was worth its $600 price tag. Some early sales reports indicate the console is selling well, at least well enough to please Microsoft’s head of Xbox Games Marketing, Aaron Greenberg. But until more games actually prove themselves significantly better on the Xbox One X, consumers will be researching the console’s merits for some time.
Google Home Mini
The smart home concept is becoming increasingly attractive among consumers. After months of watching Americans direct their Google Home devices to do a wide-variety of tasks, consumers flocked to their search engines to discover other ways to use the device prior to purchasing one. The Google Home Mini, released in October, followed in the footsteps of its larger Google Home counterpart which hit shelves in the summer.
iOS 11
Apple’s 11th major release of the iOS mobile operating system came with a bevy of new features such as a more animated Siri, a customizable control centre and AR capabilities. But it also came with a number of critical bugs. Consumers wasted little time searching the internet for answers to fix the operating systems problems that ranged from long download times, an inability to connect to the internet and hard crashes.
Samsung Galaxy 8
Consumers wanted to make sure the Samsung Galaxy 8 didn’t follow in the explosive footsteps of its Galaxy Note 7 counterpart when it released in May. Thankfully it didn’t, and the S8 turned out to be one of 2017’s best mobile devices.
Google Pixel 2
There are a lot of phones on the market and going into a purchase blind can prove detrimental to consumers. Google entered the market with its brand new premium smartphone in 2016, giving Canadians yet another option. Consumers turned to the search engine regularly to find out what made the Google Pixel tick. Fans of Android quickly discovered this was the phone for them.
Super NES Classic
Source: nintendo.com
Hearts melted at the sight of the Super NES Classic, a tiny clone of arguably the most popular video console of all time. The Nintendo console was released worldwide in September, and while the lineup of games included most of the SNES classics like the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Mario World, the systems sold quickly and consumers were left scratching their heads when several retailers’ websites crashed as soon as preorders went live.
And to wrap up, here are Google’s overall top 10 trending searches in Canada:
Hurricane Irma
Meghan Markle
Tom Petty
Ottawa Senators
North Korea
Chris Cornell
13 Reasons Why
Fidget Spinner
iphone 8
Super Bowl