A survey of over 28,000 consumers in 28 countries carried out by enterprise tech strategists Accenture has revealed that interest in current tech products has dropped among shoppers, with the number of consumers planning to buy a smartphone in the next 12 months decreasing for the first time since Accenture began the survey almost a decade ago.

Only 48 per cent of consumers overall currently plan to buy a new smartphone, down six per cent year-on-year, with the drop most evident in China, where the figure fell from 82 per cent to 61 per cent this year. Being satisfied with their current phone was the most commonly cited reason for those not looking to buy this year.

Tablets and laptops also saw drops, falling eight per cent and six per cent respectively, and only 13 per cent expected to spend more on mobiles and desktop computers this year compared to last year. In 2014, 33 per cent were expecting to spend more than they did in 2013.

Perhaps most worryingly, intent to purchase for new technologies like smartwatches, wearables, smart home devices and personal drones remained relatively flat as well, making negligible gains on last year and remaining low overall.

“The slowdown in the consumer technology market is irrefutable, serious and global,” said Sami Luukkonen, global managing director for the electronics and high tech group at Accenture. “The market is not about the glitzy gadgets anymore – rather, its about providing secure, innovative and practical digital services and more open collaboration.

“As device demand tapers off, the industry needs to make a sharp turn toward providing innovative, value-added services that consumers are able to use with confidence. Despite all its promise, the Internet of Things market has revealed itself to be a double-edged sword. The market opportunity is enormous, but security and ease-of-use concerns are hindering its near- and long-term potential.”