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.
Profile of Americans actively using a Google assistant or Google-brand speakers
Google aims to be ubiquitous and have competitive offerings to Apple, Amazon, and others. As a class, voice assistants and speakers have expanded in use by fits and starts. Only one in four Americans use a Google voice assistant or Google-brand speaker. This MetaFAQs profiles these active voice users by their age, age within gender, employment status, presence of children, life stage, number of computers used, and mix of technology ecosystems.
Profile of Americans actively using Amazon Alexa or Echo speakers
Making it easy to buy products goes well beyond Amazon’s 1-click online screens – with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. Amazon offers its voice assistant and smart speaker competitors to Apple, Google, and others. Only one in five American adults regularly use Amazon Alexa or an Amazon-branded smart speaker. This MetaFAQs profiles American active Amazon Alexa & Echo smart speaker users by several critical demographic and behavioral factors distinctive from the average American online adult: age group and age within gender, employment status, presence of children, life stage, number of PCs used, and mix of technology ecosystems.
Trends in voice assistant usage
Voices have the promise to enable a keyboard-free digital experience, and yet regular usage has not reached even half of the population. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults in the US, Germany, UK, and Japan that regularly use a voice assistant or smart speaker.
Profile of Active American Siri or HomePod users
Apple’s Siri is enjoying steady progress where other voice assistants have not. A third or more of younger Americans – male and female – are active users. Working parents are also being listened to, if not by their children, then at least by Siri. This MetaFAQs report profiles active users of Apple Siri or who have HomePods by a range of distinctive characteristics: age group, employment status, life stage, technology ecosystems, and others.
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.
Top listening activities by device type
Around the world, tech users are listening—to their devices, at least. Smartphones dominate listening activities, but many other devices, like PCs and tablets, also play a role. This MetaFAQs profiles all online adults who actively use their connected devices for specific listening & hearing activities. The report details which activities are being done by platform, showing how computers are used differently from smartphones or tablets. Active listeners number 209 million in the US (95% of online American adults), 54.6 million in Germany (94%), 44.2 million in the UK (94%), and 78.1 million in Japan (87%). Report [TUP_doc_2022_0129_list] in TUP Lenses: Consumer Electronics; Activities; Wearables, Hearables, Listening, and Speaking; Home Entertainment.
Smart speaker penetration
Smart speakers are making themselves heard, although at a relatively low volume. Between 9% and 19% of online adults across the US, UK, Germany, and Japan regularly use at least one smart speaker – a wireless speaker that can be used with a voice assistant. They skew somewhat younger than the average online adult. This MetaFAQs reports on the percentage of online adults in the US, Germany, the UK, and Japan who regularly use a smart speaker by age group.
Which hearables products are in active use by Americans?
Listening and hearing activities with connected devices are widely practiced. To help, online Americans use many hearables devices: webcams, voice assistants, wireless Bluetooth headsets, smart speakers, VR headsets, or smart displays. This includes 143.9 million online American adults, or two in three (66%). This MetaFAQs reports on the active penetration rates of these audio-oriented devices split by age group and details the rapidly-changing adoption rates by life stage.
What are the major listening activities across countries?
Who’s listening? And to what? Most online adults report having used any connected device for specific listening and hearing activities within the previous month (ranging from 87-95% of online adults, depending on country). Regularly making personal phone calls dominates as the most popular listening activity in every country surveyed, and video calls have reached the halfway mark.
This MetaFAQs reports on listening activities (including phone calls, videos/movies, video calls, music/radio/podcasts, television, video games, video meetings, voice assistants, and voice memos) by country: the US, UK, Germany, and Japan in 2021.