- Preston, Manchester, and Birmingham are the top three most tech obsessed cities in the UK.
- Search volumes for a variety of tech gadgets were analysed to determine the ranking.
- The PS5 received the most searches compared to other products in the study.
New research has found the top 10 most tech obsessed cities and towns in the UK, with Preston taking the crown.
Experts at New Casinos analysed the number of average monthly searches on Google in each UK city and town for a range of tech products, including tablets, smartphones, consoles and other smart devices. The search volume of every term in each area was added together and then divided by the population to determine the number of searches for every 10,000 people.
| Rank | City/Town | Population | Combined average monthly search volume | Searches per 10,000 people |
| 1 | Preston | 114,300 | 20,020 | 1751.54 |
| 2 | Manchester | 552,000 | 92,450 | 1674.82 |
| 3 | Birmingham | 1,074,300 | 171,740 | 1598.63 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 465,700 | 74,120 | 1591.59 |
| 5 | Glasgow | 598,830 | 90,460 | 1510.62 |
| 6 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 280,177 | 42,080 | 1501.91 |
| 7 | Bristol | 465,866 | 68,390 | 1468.02 |
| 8 | Reading | 174,200 | 25,290 | 1451.78 |
| 9 | Leicester | 329,839 | 47,020 | 1425.55 |
| 10 | Blackburn | 105,085 | 14,610 | 1390.31 |
Taking the top spot for the most tech obsessed city in the UK is Preston, with 1751.54 searches per 10,000 people. The city in Lancashire has a particular interest in the PS5, with this being the gadget that was most searched for across the area.
Manchester is runner up, boasting a tech search volume of 1674.82 for every 10,000 people. This Northwest city has demonstrated its demand for a Nintendo Switch with the second highest searches per 10,000 people for the tech product, with the first spot being Preston.
Standing third on the podium is Birmingham, which sees a total of 1598.63 searches per 10,000 people. Like Preston, this major city has a keen interest in the PS5 with this also being the most searched for tech product in the area among all 18 of the terms.
Liverpool may not be taking home a medal, but it has placed fourth for the most tech obsessed cities in the UK and is another Northwest city to make the list. Liverpool gained a total of 1591.59 searches for every product per 10,000 people.
In fifth place is Glasgow. The city in Scotland has made a total of 1510.62 searches for every 10,000th person – but not only that, citizens of Glasgow also have a keen interest in bagging an iPad, with the second highest total of searches for the gadget per 10,000 people.
In the sixth position is Newcastle upon Tyne with a total average monthly search volume of 1501.91 per 10,000 people. Geordies are eager to get their hands on an iPhone 13, with this product being the second most in demand item across the city, after the PS5.
Bristol places seventh on the list of the most tech obsessed cities in the UK. The Southwest city sees a total monthly search volume of 1468.02 per 10,000 people for all 18 terms.
Closely following Bristol in eighth place is another Southern location, Reading, which makes a total of 1451.78 Google searches per 100,000 people.
Leicester ranks in ninth, with a total of 1425.55 average monthly searches for every 10,000 people. In fact, the East Midlands city has the fourth highest number of searches for the iPhone 14 for every 10.000th person.
Blackburn is in tenth place, receiving 1390.31 average monthly searches in total for every 10,000 people. Despite being last of the top 10, Blackburn’s demand for the Samsung S21 is high – generating the second highest number of searches for the smartphone for every 10,000th person.
Of all the terms, ‘ps5’ proved most popular, taking a search volume of 331,940 in total across all the UK cities and towns that were measured.
A spokesperson at New Casinos has commended on the findings: “With the top 10 consisting of cities from multiple regions, we can see just how widespread the interest for tech gadgets is – but what’s really fascinating is how the PS5 is the most searched for product in so many cities. With Black Friday on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how the demand for these gadgets, from iPhones to Macbooks, translates into sales.”
