Technology Statistics 2026: 50 Key Gadget Facts

The tech gadget story for 2026 is a split between volume and value. Deloitte's 2026 Hardware and Consumer Tech Industry Outlook forecasts global smartphone shipments could contract by as much as 5% while average selling prices climb to $465. Wearables shipped 136.5 million units in Q2 2025, up 9.6% year over year, and Assurant's 2026 Global Technology Sentiment Index gave consumer sentiment a global score of 66 on a 0 to 100 scale. Below are 50 statistics, each labeled as a forecast, a reported shipment result, or a consumer survey finding.

Top statistics for 2026

Smartphone shipments could fall up to 5% in 2026 because of memory-chip shortages and higher component costs (Deloitte, 2026 forecast).
Average smartphone selling prices are projected to reach $465 in 2026 (Deloitte, 2026 forecast).
The global smartphone market could reach about $578.9 billion in 2026 (Deloitte, 2026 forecast).
Wearables shipped 136.5 million units in Q2 2025, a 9.6% year-over-year increase (Deloitte, 2026, citing industry shipment data).
Global PC shipments rose an estimated 9.6% year over year in Q4 2025 (Deloitte, 2026).
87% of U.S. consumers said customizable protection makes them more likely to enroll in coverage (Assurant, 2026).
Global consumer technology sentiment scored 66 out of 100 in 2026 (Assurant, 2026).

Tip: Read every 2026 number below with its label attached. Forecasts describe what may happen, shipment results describe what did happen, and survey findings describe what consumers said. Blending the three produces a misleading market narrative.

What are the 2026 smartphone forecasts?

Smartphones in 2026 face a volume-versus-value tension: fewer units may ship, but each sells for more. Deloitte's outlook frames this as the central story for the category, driven by memory-chip shortages and rising component costs.

Global smartphone shipments were projected to grow 1.5% in 2025 (Deloitte, 2026). Modest growth set the baseline before the projected 2026 reversal.
The 2025 smartphone market was projected to reach roughly 1.25 billion units (Deloitte, 2026). That figure anchors the volume side of the equation.
Shipments could contract by as much as 5% in 2026 because of memory-chip shortages and higher costs (Deloitte, 2026 forecast). This is a forecast, not a completed result.
Average smartphone selling prices were expected to reach $465 in 2026 (Deloitte, 2026 forecast). Prices rise even as unit volume is projected to shrink.
The global smartphone market could reach about $578.9 billion in 2026 (Deloitte, 2026 forecast). Higher prices on fewer units keep total value climbing.

How are PCs and wearables shipping?

PCs and wearables both showed measured growth in 2025. Deloitte reports PC shipments rising and wearables expanding past basic fitness tracking into AI-enhanced, health-oriented, and more diverse form factors.

Global PC shipments rose an estimated 9.6% year over year in Q4 2025 (Deloitte, 2026). A reported shipment result, not a forecast.
Wearables shipped 136.5 million units in Q2 2025 (Deloitte, 2026, citing industry shipment data). A reported quarterly figure.
Wearables shipments increased 9.6% year over year in Q2 2025 (Deloitte, 2026). Growth matched the PC rate for the periods measured.

For anyone weighing which devices earn a spot in daily life, our roundup of 5 ways tech can help you stay fit covers how wearables translate raw sensor data into habits.

What is AI doing to gadget hardware in 2026?

AI is reshaping how devices are designed, not only what apps run on them. On-device and cross-device AI now influence smartphones, PCs, wearables, glasses, and voice assistants.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite platform uses a 3-nanometer architecture and supports Bluetooth 6.0 and 5G RedCap (Qualcomm, MWC 2026). A product announcement, not a market figure.
Snapdragon Wear Elite can deliver up to 30% more battery life, Qualcomm says (MWC 2026 announcement). Battery gains matter as wearables add always-on AI features.
Apple previewed a Siri AI that can interpret on-screen content, use personal context across apps, search the web, and generate answers (Apple, June 8, 2026). No standalone subscription price was disclosed.
Meta's AI-glasses work combines wearable displays, multimodal AI, and an electromyography wristband for alternative input (Meta, 2025). The wristband reads muscle signals as a control method.

AI's reach into everyday hardware extends to the home. Our look at strides in home security technology traces how connected sensors moved from novelty to standard fitting.

Warning: Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, and Snapdragon Wear Elite are hardware and software features in these announcements, not standalone paid subscriptions. No retail MSRP or monthly fee was disclosed for them.

Where do gadgets frustrate U.S. consumers?

Smartphones are the device most likely to frustrate U.S. consumers, and connectivity is the single most common technology problem. Assurant's 2026 survey maps the pain points that follow every new device home.

Smartphones frustrated 42% of U.S. consumers, the most of any device (Assurant, 2026).
Computers frustrated 37% of U.S. respondents (Assurant, 2026).
Internet connectivity and speed were the top U.S. problem, reported by 35% (Assurant, 2026).
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection problems affected 33% of U.S. respondents (Assurant, 2026).
Insufficient storage was reported by 29% of U.S. consumers (Assurant, 2026).

How do consumers fix their own tech?

Most people troubleshoot without calling support. In the U.S., self-service and video tutorials handle the majority of device problems before a manufacturer ever hears about them.

43% of U.S. respondents solve technology problems themselves (Assurant, 2026).
35% of U.S. respondents use YouTube to solve device problems (Assurant, 2026).
31% of U.S. respondents turn to friends or family for support (Assurant, 2026).
22% of U.S. respondents use product manuals when troubleshooting (Assurant, 2026).

This is where support, setup, and repair become part of a gadget's value, not an afterthought to its specifications. Buyers planning a remodel face the same reality with must-have security gadgets, where installation and pairing decide satisfaction.

What do U.S. consumers want from protection plans?

Customizable protection changes purchase behavior. Large majorities of U.S. consumers told Assurant that tailored coverage makes them more likely to buy, enroll, and think well of the brand.

81% of U.S. consumers said customizable protection increases the likelihood of buying a product (Assurant, 2026).
87% said customizable protection makes them more likely to enroll in coverage (Assurant, 2026).
85% said customizable protection improves brand perception (Assurant, 2026).
54% of U.S. consumers showed interest in customizable smartphone protection (Assurant, 2026).
45% were interested in customizable protection for consumer electronics (Assurant, 2026).
33% were interested in customizable protection for home appliances (Assurant, 2026).

How does AI change interest in protection plans?

AI features make U.S. consumers more protective of their devices. When a product carries AI capabilities, interest in covering it rises across computers, home entertainment, and smart-home gear.

AI raised U.S. interest in computer protection to 51% (Assurant, 2026).
48% of U.S. consumers reported stronger interest in protection for home-entertainment products because of AI (Assurant, 2026).
42% reported stronger interest in protection for smart-home devices and appliances because of AI (Assurant, 2026).

How do the U.K., U.S., and Japan compare?

Appetite for customizable protection varies sharply by country. U.S. consumers show the highest interest, the U.K. sits close behind, and Japan trails on most measures. Treat these as survey findings, not ownership or market-share data.

Metric	United States	United Kingdom	Japan
Interest in smartphone protection	54%	49%	28%
Interest in electronics protection	45%	40%	21%
Interest in home-appliance protection	33%	34%	16%
AI-driven interest in computer protection	51%	57%	38%
Buying likelihood with customizable protection	81%	81%	75%

Source: Assurant, 2026 Global Connected Consumer Trends Report.

49% of U.K. consumers expressed interest in customizable smartphone protection (Assurant, 2026).
40% of U.K. consumers were interested in protection for electronics (Assurant, 2026).
34% of U.K. consumers showed interest in protection for home appliances (Assurant, 2026).
AI increased U.K. interest in computer protection to 57% (Assurant, 2026).
AI increased U.K. interest in protection for smart-home devices to 54% (Assurant, 2026).
81% of U.K. consumers said customizable protection increases their likelihood of buying (Assurant, 2026).
84% of U.K. consumers said customizable protection makes them more likely to keep their plan (Assurant, 2026).
28% of Japanese consumers expressed interest in customizable smartphone protection (Assurant, 2026).
21% of Japanese respondents were interested in protection for electronics (Assurant, 2026).
16% of Japanese respondents were interested in protection for home appliances (Assurant, 2026).
AI increased Japanese interest in computer protection to 38% (Assurant, 2026).
AI increased Japanese interest in smartphone protection to 37% (Assurant, 2026).
75% of Japanese consumers said customizable protection increases the likelihood of buying (Assurant, 2026).

What frustrates consumers in the U.K. and Japan?

The same problems recur across markets: smartphones, computers, connectivity, and storage. Assurant's cross-market data shows how consistent these pain points are.

Smartphones caused frustration for 36% of U.K. respondents in the previous 12 months (Assurant, 2026).
Internet connectivity and speed troubled 36% of U.K. respondents (Assurant, 2026).
Insufficient storage was reported by 28% of U.K. respondents (Assurant, 2026).
Smartphones caused frustration for 35% of Japanese respondents (Assurant, 2026).
Internet connectivity and speed were a common issue for 32% of Japanese respondents (Assurant, 2026).
Wi-Fi or device-pairing problems affected 29% of Japanese respondents (Assurant, 2026).
Insufficient storage was reported by 29% of Japanese respondents (Assurant, 2026).

What the data means

Two forces define 2026. The first is a smartphone market where value grows while volume may shrink: Deloitte forecasts a possible 5% shipment contraction alongside a $465 average selling price. The second is a consumer base that stays frustrated by the basics. Connectivity leads the problem list in all three surveyed markets, at 35% in the U.S., 36% in the U.K., and 32% in Japan.

AI sits on top of both. It is reshaping hardware design, from Qualcomm's 3-nanometer Snapdragon Wear Elite to Apple's on-screen-aware Siri AI. It also raises the stakes on protection: AI features pushed U.S. interest in computer coverage to 51% and U.K. interest to 57%. Consumers want to safeguard smarter, pricier devices.

The purchase implication is direct. Between 75% and 81% of consumers across the three markets said customizable protection makes them more likely to buy, and 87% of U.S. consumers said it makes them more likely to enroll in coverage. Support, setup, repair, and protection now compete with processor speed and battery life as reasons to choose one gadget over another.

For readers weighing a purchase, the signal is to look past the spec sheet. A device's connectivity reliability, storage headroom, and coverage options shape day-to-day satisfaction more than a benchmark score. The next wave of connected hardware, including tech gadgets built for RV life, will be judged as much on how well it pairs and stays online as on what it can do.

Methodology and sourcing note

The forecasts here come from Deloitte's 2026 Hardware and Consumer Tech Industry Outlook. The smartphone shipment contraction, $465 average selling price, and $578.9 billion market value are projections, not confirmed global results or market-share figures. PC and wearables shipment figures are reported quarterly results cited by Deloitte.

Consumer survey data comes from Assurant's 2026 Global Connected Consumer Trends Report, which uses a 0 to 100 sentiment scale and reported a global score of 66. Percentages describe survey respondents in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan, not global ownership or market share.

Product details for Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite (MWC 2026), Apple's Siri AI (June 8, 2026), and Meta's AI glasses (2025) come from official announcements. None was presented as a standalone paid subscription, and no retail MSRP was disclosed in the reviewed materials.

Frequently asked questions

Will smartphone prices go up in 2026?

Deloitte's 2026 outlook forecasts average smartphone selling prices reaching $465, driven by memory-chip shortages and higher component costs. This is a forecast, not a completed result. The same outlook projects shipments could contract by as much as 5%, meaning fewer phones may sell but at higher prices. The global smartphone market value could still reach roughly $578.9 billion because higher prices offset lower unit volume.

How many wearables shipped in 2025?

The wearables market shipped 136.5 million units in Q2 2025, a 9.6% year-over-year increase, according to Deloitte's 2026 outlook citing industry shipment data. This is a reported quarterly result. Wearables are expanding beyond basic fitness tracking toward AI-enhanced, health-oriented, and more diverse form factors, supported by new silicon like Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite platform announced at MWC 2026.

What is the most common technology problem for consumers?

Internet connectivity and speed is the most common technology problem in every market Assurant surveyed for its 2026 report: 35% of U.S. respondents, 36% of U.K. respondents, and 32% of Japanese respondents reported it. Insufficient storage and Wi-Fi or Bluetooth pairing problems follow closely. Smartphones are the device most likely to frustrate consumers, cited by 42% in the U.S.

Does AI make people more interested in protection plans?

Yes. Assurant's 2026 survey found AI features raise consumer interest in device protection. In the U.S., AI pushed interest in computer protection to 51% and home-entertainment protection to 48%. In the U.K., AI raised computer-protection interest to 57%. The pattern holds in Japan at lower levels, where AI lifted computer-protection interest to 38%.

Are Apple Intelligence and Siri AI paid subscriptions?

No. In Apple's June 8, 2026 announcement, the next-generation Siri AI and Apple Intelligence were presented as device features, not standalone paid subscriptions. No monthly fee or retail MSRP was disclosed for them. The same applies to Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite, which is a hardware platform rather than a subscription service.

Which country wants customizable protection the most?

Among the three markets Assurant surveyed in 2026, U.S. consumers showed the highest interest in customizable smartphone protection at 54%, followed by the U.K. at 49% and Japan at 28%. These are survey findings about consumer interest, not ownership or market-share data. Across all three markets, between 75% and 81% of consumers said customizable protection makes them more likely to buy a product.

50 Tech Gadget Statistics for 2026