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Consumer Electronics Show

What do consumers want? Better batteries, not wearables

Alan Murray
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Alan Murray
Alan Murray
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January 7, 2015, 11:01 AM ET
Newest Innovations In Consumer Technology On Display At 2015 International CES
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 06: Vivitar LifeCams, a wearable camcorder, is displayed at the 2015 International CES at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 6, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 9 and is expected to feature 3,600 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to about 150,000 attendees. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)Photograph by David Becker — Getty Images

You wouldn’t guess it wandering the endless displays of gadgets here at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show, but the top tech need on the mind of most Americans isn’t sharper televisions, smarter watches, virtual reality glasses or connected refrigerators.

It’s better batteries.

Watch more about better batteries from Fortune’s video team:

That’s the conclusion of a new Fortune-SurveyMonkey study, released today in Las Vegas during the annual show.

When asked “what new or improved smartphone feature are you most excited about,” “improved battery life” was the leading answer by a long shot – 33% . Faster processors came in second, with 16% of respondents.

Meanwhile, amidst a flurry of fitness bands and smart watches, only 12% said they were “extremely likely” or “very likely” to buy such a wearable device in 2015, while 74% said they were “not so likely” or “not at all likely.” And only 2% said they were extremely or very likely to buy Internet-connected glasses, such as Google Glass, in 2015, while 92% said they were “not so likely” or “not at all likely.”

Some 75% of respondents said they hadn’t even heard of 4K Television – another hot item at CES this year.

The survey also showed a yawning gap between generations on technology use. For instance, 40% of those 60 and older said they were extremely or very concerned about the potential privacy risk posed by consumer use of drones. But only 23% of 18-29 year olds expressed the same concerns.

The survey of 1,000+ adults was conducted Dec. 30 to Jan. 2, using SurveyMonkey Audience, a proprietary online panel. Respondents for this survey were selected to mirror the age and sex proportions of adults according to the U.S. Census.

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