Gadgets Consumer Insights

Trend - Smart home companies are releasing baby monitors with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features. Rather than acting as cameras and recording devices, these monitors use AI features for non-intrusive monitoring of breathing or sleeping patterns, body temperature, and more.

Insight - New Millennial and Gen Z parents are tasked with balancing full-time work with social lives and raising their newborns. Rising costs of living have led to these parents often having less free time than previous generations. To alleviate the strain of home tasks, many of these parents turn to smart home or AI-powered products, such as robot vacuum or AI washing machines. In recognition of this demand, smart home and infant care brands are releasing AI baby monitors with time-saving features.

Trend - Brands are creating compact wearables powered by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models. As wearables, these are non-intrusive devices that provide access to on-demand AI. These AI features can be used conversationally with hands-free commands to provide seamless access to information.

Insight - Most individuals in the western world, regardless of age, find themselves using their smartphone tens or hundreds of times per day, with most simply looking up information or responding to messages. Companies are aiming to use AI to reduce smartphone use to help consumers return to active living, rather than staring at screens. As a result, these companies are creating AI-powered wearables, such as pins or necklaces, that provide on-demand hands-free access to AI and smartphone features.

Trend - Magnetic power banks are transforming mobile charging for iPhone users with their innovative magnetic attachment feature. Sparked by Apple's MagSafe battery pack, numerous startups have introduced alternatives with extra features or better pricing, broadening consumer choices. This technology enhances convenience and meets the growing demand for seamless, integrated smartphone accessories.

Insight - The rapid adoption and development of magnetic power banks illustrate a broader shift in consumer electronics towards more integrated and feature-rich accessories. As these devices become central to daily life, users are looking for products that not only enhance functionality but also align with a mobile and dynamic lifestyle. There is a strong consumer demand for innovations that offer both enhanced usability and aesthetic coherence with their primary devices.

Trend - Tech brands are developing head-mounted wearables with built-in high-definition screens. These devices do not have onboard processors for VR, and serve primarily as large, private, simulated screens. This enables brands to reduce prices and appeal to consumers who require on-the-go displays.

Insight - Many remote workers choose to work in environments different from their home desks, such as coffee shops, for a change of environment and mindset. These workers prioritize remote productivity solutions to optimize workflow on the go, and are drawn to low-cost solutions to these desires. Tech brands are recognizing the need for remote productivity solutions and are creating lower-cost wearables with privacy features to address these consumers.

Trend - New products are being developed that monitor virtual reality environments and release scents accordingly. These devices store scents via fluid or wax pads, and can custom-mix sources to produce more scent varieties. This is designed to enhance immersion in entertainment or for scent therapy.

Insight - The increase in popularity of metaverse applications spurred upon by new affordable hardware in the space has led to tech-curious consumers wanting to push the boundaries of what is possible in VR. These consumers are drawn to devices that push immersion further, such as haptic feedback wearables or omnidirectional treadmills. However, there is an ever-present desire for more immersion in VR applications. In recognition of this pressure, brands are experimenting with scent-based devices for VR.

Trend - Mattresses are being improved with network-connected AI features to automatically adjust conditions according to the user. These mattresses monitor the users' metrics and find optimal temperatures and alignments to foster healthy sleep. This is intended to improve sleep quality and consistency.

Insight - Products across nearly every industry are being altered with artificial intelligence to improve various features. Homeowners and renters look to AI to streamline aspects of their day, from meal prep to light and music control, and even sleep quality. These consumers are willing to pay more for products with AI over traditional smart products due to the value of automation. In recognition of the desire for AI products, brands are looking to improve previous smart products by using automated AI.

Trend - Smartphone manufacturers are creating luxury phones with displays that expand horizontally by rolling. These displays function similarly to folding phones but do not leave any visible crease or visible bezel. The larger expandable screen is designed to improve both productivity and entertainment.

Insight - While smartphones have had the same design for over a decade, the recent popularity of foldable phones has led to an increase in experimentation. Consumers interested in future-facing technologies are curious about major innovations in consumer electronics, particularly smartphones, given their necessity in modern life, and are willing to pay more for unique products, especially those with added practical value. As a result, brands are improving on long-stagnated designs to offer new features.

Trend - Smart home companies are launching home security products with local-only options available. These products only store data locally, when requested, which enhances the privacy of the user. Avoiding network storage prevents sensitive information from leaking when servers are breached.

Insight - As modern homes become increasingly connected, with everything from doorbells to security cameras being always connected to the network, consumers are looking for ways to ensure that their data is kept private and safe from online threats. The prevalence of network attacks is leading to brands creating smart home products that subvert large storage databases in exchange for more grounded solutions. The transparency of these brands helps attract network-concerned, privacy-focused consumers.

Trend - Low-cost or free 3D printing courses are being hosted by libraries, universities, and independent websites. These courses lower the barriers of cost and education for 3D printer use to draw more adults to the field, whether as a creative outlet or for CAD (Computer-Assisted Design)-related jobs.

Insight - While many individuals find a balance between work and personal lives, such as hobbies and social connections, others find themselves unfulfilled, either in the workplace or in keeping occupied. This leads to these groups searching for new avenues for enjoyment, such as new employment or a new hobby. As a result of these combined desires, hobbies with the potential to generate income are preferred. Fields that reduce the barriers via free and public services can draw in these individuals.

Trend - Brands are launching standalone spatial computing headsets that have processing power built into the device. These devices are small, portable, and do not require the user to be tethered to a computer. This makes the headsets quicker to use while reducing the barrier to entry for new customers.

Insight - For the average adult consumer, two of the main barriers that prevent the adoption of spatial computing and VR headsets are related to cost and complexity, in part due to headsets often requiring several high-priced devices to function, effectively placing VR experiences behind paywalls that outweigh the value proposition. Hardware brands in the VR space are addressing these concerns by creating lower-cost, lower-power VR headsets that function entirely on their own.