Key findings:

  • 59% of UK adults don’t plan to buy any tech this holiday season, with only small shares considering devices like smartphones or laptops.
  • Two-thirds (66%) say they experienced no tech issues during past holiday periods, indicating a largely trouble-free festive experience.
  • Among those who did face problems, Wi-Fi/broadband routers were the most common issue (13%), ahead of smart TVs and smartphones.

The holiday period is one of the busiest times of the year for buying and using technology, whether it’s gifting new devices, upgrading household essentials, or relying on existing gadgets to stay connected. To get a sense of how people approach tech around this time, and what their recent experiences have been like, we used YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.

When asked about which tech devices Brits plan to purchase this holiday season, a majority of UK adults (59%) say they don’t plan to buy any. Interest in specific products stays relatively modest: 13% say they expect to buy a smartphone, 11% a laptop or tablet, and 10% a home appliance such as a vacuum, air fryer, or blender.

Younger adults show a little more enthusiasm for tech shopping, 48% of 18–34s say they aren’t buying any tech, compared with 55% of 35–54s and 69% of those aged 55+, but “none of the above” remains the top response across all groups.

Holiday tech problems are uncommon, though Wi-Fi leads among those affected

With relatively low demand for new devices this year (as the survey data shows), people may simply feel satisfied with the tech they already own. To explore this further, we also asked respondents about their experiences with tech during past holiday periods.

Two-thirds of UK adults (66%) report having had no issues with any device during previous holidays. Among the minority who have encountered problems, home Wi-Fi or broadband routers are the most common source (13%), followed by smart TVs/streaming devices (8%) and smartphones (7%).

Even though 19% of 18–34s report Wi-Fi/router issues (versus 9% of 35–54s and 12% of those 55+), “none of the above” is still the overwhelming response in every age bracket.

Methodology:

YouGov polled 800 UK adults online on 28 November 2025. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. The margin of error is +/-2.3% for the overall sample.

Image: Getty Images

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