Christmas Day is finally here, which for millions of Brits means a present or two underneath the tree.If you’re one of the luckiest, that could mean a shiny piece of technology to crack open alongside the mince pies, but according to a new study, many of us will struggle to set up the latest gadgets, leading to festive frustration.Recent survey data from mobile and broadband provider EE shows less than half of people are confident they could get a new device working straight out of the box, with 54 percent indicating they’d need help.Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Read more: Your Amazon Echo gets a free boost with 12 new things to ask Alexa this week Read more: New OnePlus Android tablet beats Apple’s iPad on screen size, price and battery Tech news, reviews and latest gadgets plus selected offers and competitions Subscribe Invalid emailWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you.
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Whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop or Bluetooth speaker, a third of UK consumers (33 percent) said they give up if they aren’t able to set up a new piece of tech within five minutes, while 32 percent get angry.18 percent of people even said they currency their own devices that they have never actually used, while two in five parents (38 percent) said they often wait for their adult children to pop round and help them set up their new gadgets.“From new phones and smartwatches to wireless headphones and home gadgets, millions of Brits will be eagerly unwrapping smart tech on Christmas morning, but this excitement can quickly turn into frustration,” Asif Aziz, Retail Director at EE told Express.co.uk.Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT“More than ever, devices play a bigger role in our lives and the way we run our homes, but this research shows many of us will be struggling to set up these smart gifts and may lose patience doing so.” Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT37 percent of Brits said they usually need help from a video to set up a device, which is much easier to locate these days thanks to YouTube.If the device manufacturer has not made a video about set up, it’s likely someone out there has.Even after set up some of us continue to have issues though, with 31 percent struggling to keep smart devices synced with their paired device, with 46 percent of smart ring owners admitting their rings had stopped syncing at some point in 2025.Samsung launch 'A Friend for Christmas' campaign Aziz shared three top tech tips that could help solve some of your yuletide electronic woes.Check the firmware“Just because you’ve unwrapped a new device, it doesn’t mean it contains the latest software,” he said.
“Connected gadgets are supplied with the firmware (controlling its basic functions) that was available when they were manufactured, which may have updated between then and when they were bought.“To ensure you’re getting the best from a new phone, tablet or home device, once you’ve unboxed it, allow time for it to charge fully and, once it’s connected to WiFi, check in the settings it’s set to automatically install system updates.”Beat the Bluetooth blues“If you’re experiencing the Christmas Bluetooth blues and new smart devices like earbuds or speakers won't connect to your phone, the most effective solution is to search your pairing history and do some housekeeping.Often you will find old entries from previously paired devices, “ghosts” that can get in the way, especially if you no longer use them.“Before attempting to reconnect, go into your phone’s Bluetooth settings and delete or forget the old gadgets, then turn your Bluetooth off for at least a few seconds before starting the pairing process again.”Tweak the settings“Smartwatches and fitness trackers are often found under the Christmas tree and a spur for New Year’s resolutions, yet some settings can quickly drain their battery life.Built-in fitness-tracking features like step counters use low-power hardware sensors, but location-based features and apps activate GPS, which require more power as your device needs to keep in constant contact with satellite signals.“After unwrapping your new wearable on Christmas Day, spend ten minutes going through the location permissions before you start installing apps and make sure tracking and display settings are set to “while using” rather than “always”.
This will prevent your gadget running out of energy before you do.”
