Transformative Consumer Device Shipments

The use of flexible/folding Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) screen technology has made tentative steps into the smartphone market for the past couple of years. A great deal of technology and hardware innovation needed to be perfected and properly executed, notably around hinge mechanisms and crease-less displays, if the promise of a seamless and intuitive User Experience (UX) was to be upheld. Folding smartphone models, based on unfold-to-tablet design, were among the first to market, but delays due to inadequate technology implementations resulted in poor UXs.

Despite the introduction of 5G networks as a premium feature, many device types in the wearables and accessories sector will not become completely self-connected; instead, they will still need to be tethered to a smartphone or hub. The 5G attach rate for wearables and accessories will remain low at about 0.6% by 2026 and will be mainly related to sectors such as smartwatches and headsets. High-data gathering, and low-power efficiency will be the key strengths for these smart gadgets, increasing both demand and popularity, particularly in the healthcare industry.

Wireless headset shipments are expected to reach nearly 502.1 million at the end of 2021, and the forecast reveals steady growth with more than 723 million of units shipped worldwide in 2026. Features like noise cancellation technology will improve the UX and offer a more extensive range of future use cases. Furthermore, as voice control becomes the dominant User Interface (UI) for hands-free control of smartphones and smartwatches, true wireless headsets will also become significant drivers for the growth and adoption of voice assistants.