Entertainment, communication, and smart homes have all evolved beyond requiring typing on a keyboard or sitting near PC speakers. Wearable and hearables have extended a broad range of audible activities further towards a more personal convenience. However, active usage of any wearables or hearables has varied considerably across market segments. While Bluetooth headphones are widespread, VR headsets persist as niche products among a younger, more affluent, and tech-savvy segment. Smart speakers, in contrast, are showing signs of having peaked after rising in use among a middle market.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: wearables penetration, hearables penetration, wearable devices used, trends in wearables and hearables, purchase plans for wearables, listening activities, penetration of voice assistant usage, the profile of voice assistant users, the profile of hearables users, and the profile of wearables users.
Highlights: Consumer Electronics
Hearables are having a tumultuous time during the pandemic, and users adapt to shifting situations. Webcams are a significant force, as are wireless Bluetooth headsets, both pivotal for users working or schooling from home. Meanwhile, voice-enabled speakers have reached a plateau, reaching their largest share among neither the youngest nor oldest adults. Smartwatches have made inroads across nearly all age groups, especially younger employed adults.
This TUP Highlights report includes the following sections: purchase plans for wearables, hearables penetration, wearables penetration, trends in consumer electronics, the profile of hearables users, the profile of wearables users, the profile of key consumer electronics users, and device activities compared to consumer electronics.
Digital health usage among Americans
Digital technology has empowered people worldwide to be more involved with and aware of their health, with a growing and rich collection of devices and information sources. However, has supply outpaced the demand? This TUPdate reports on the active usage of critical health devices and health-oriented activities. It details the number of online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Germany who track their steps using a smartphone, uses a smartwatch or fitness tracker, or regularly search for health information online.
Profile of American VR Headset users
So far, virtual reality has been a dream, only being actively used by a small number of creative and fun-loving pioneers. Within the TUP 2021 survey, MetaFacts identified 358 respondents that report regularly wearing VR headsets.
This MetaFAQs report details their game-playing activities, including which devices they regularly use, along with their demographic and technological profile.
Tracking steps with a smartphone
Regularly walking is a widely accepted way to improve and maintain health and tracking one’s steps is also popular. While there are many ways to track steps – from simple pedometers to fitness trackers and smartwatches, most smartphones also include the ability to track steps.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan that regularly track their steps with smartphones. It details the trend between 2017 and 2021. It further splits out these active walkers by age group within each country surveyed.
Profile of American immersive/video game-players
Playing games is more than a casual pastime for many, especially those who play immersive & video games. This MetaFAQs reports on the number of Americans who regularly use any of their connected devices to play immersive/video games – game consoles, smartphones, computers, tablets, or more than one. The report profiles respondents by age, gender, life stage, and other characteristics. Further, it reports on the other unique activities and consumer electronics this fun-loving group enjoys, including VR headsets and home projectors.
Wearing a smartwatch or fitness tracker
Smartwatches and fitness trackers are about more than athletic pursuits and telling the time. Market penetration has grown, and adoption has expanded beyond the earliest wearables users. The US has higher market penetration than the UK or Germany, and Japan has less than the other three.
This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan that regularly use a smartwatch or fitness tracker, further split by age group in each country.
Which hearables products are in active use?
More and more people are listening—to their devices, that is. Over half of online adults in most countries surveyed actively use hearables products—those technology products focused on listening activities—with Japan close behind at 45% of tech users. American online adults have the highest rates of using hearables products of all countries surveyed.
This MetaFAQs reports on hearables product use by country and age group in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan in 2021. Hearables products identified included: webcams, wireless Bluetooth headsets or headphones, voice assistants, voice-enabled speakers, VR headsets, and smart displays.
Profile of Americans who wear a fitness tracker
Who’s tracking their fitness? Are online Americans still using fitness trackers to count their steps—and more? 17% of all online American adults report using a wearable electronic activity tracker (like FitBit) at least once per month.
This MetaFAQs reports on Americans in 2021 who wear a fitness tracker by age group, age within gender, employment status, household size, life stage, educational attainment, home PCs, technology ecosystem involvement, and technology ecosystem entrenchment.
How often are voice assistants being used?
Are voice assistants such as Apple Siri or Amazon Alexa in as widespread usage as imagined? How recently have online adults in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan used a voice assistant? How does voice assistant use compare when using a smartphone versus a computer? Between 26% and 38% of online adults in these countries have used a voice assistant with a smartphone, and between 10% and 13% used a computer. This MetaFAQs reports on the recency of voice assistant usage among online adults in the US, the UK, Germany, and Japan. It further splits smartphone and computer usage by the age group of Americans.