2025
9
US Tech on the Move Consumer Report 2025
2025-02-13T10:01:35+00:00
REP00118AF0_E513_47AA_8434_87629AD67FE3
3695
179480
[{"name":"Technology","url":"https:\/\/store.mintel.com\/industries\/technology"}]
Report
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Americans are highly reliant on tech while on the move, with a third traveling to and from places more often than last year. Even when they wish to disconnect, using…
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  6. US Tech on the Move Consumer Report 2025

US Tech on the Move Consumer Report 2025

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Americans are highly reliant on tech while on the move, with a third traveling to and from places more often than last year. Even when they wish to disconnect, using devices during commutes is second nature – like relying on navigation apps for familiar routes. For most, staying connected outweighs the desire to unplug.

This reliance on tech extends to audio devices, where premium features like noise cancelation and immersive sound are now accessible across a range of budgets. As the market grows more competitive, brands are repositioning audio products as lifestyle tools that offer more than just entertainment – supporting productivity, convenience, and wellbeing throughout daily routines.

This Report explores how consumers use technology on the go, exploring how urban living, work demands, and emerging tech shape travel habits. It highlights the growing role of portable audio devices in enhancing commutes and uncovers key trends shaping consumer preferences and purchasing decisions.

This report looks at the following areas:

  • How consumers get around
  • Device usage while traveling from place to place
  • How consumers use tech devices while on the go
  • Consumer preferences and usage patterns of headphones/earphones
  • Consumer preferences and usage patterns of portable speakers
  • How competitors are shifting to market products as lifestyle tools, not just entertainment devices

In a world where staying connected is second nature, Americans are increasingly reliant on technology when on the move. To stand apart, brands are transforming gadgets into lifestyle tools that offer personalized experiences, enhancing convenience and wellbeing for those on the go.

Haley Ferrini, Research Analyst, US Reports

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Market predictions
    • What consumers want & why
    • Opportunities
  2. MARKET DYNAMICS

    • Market context
    • Consumer sentiment reached an eight-month high
    • Graph 1: consumer sentiment index, 2022-24
    • Nearly 45% of consumers have seen their financial situations change for the better in the past year
    • Graph 2: change in financial situation over the past 12 months, 2023 and 2024
    • Household’s financial improvements are strongly tied to income growth
    • Graph 3: income growth over the past 12 months, by change in financial situation, 2024
    • Households’ outlooks on their personal finances remains bullish
    • Graph 4: opinions on financial future, 2024
    • Graph 5: income growth in the past 12 months, by financial outlook, 2024
    • Market drivers
    • Companies implement stricter return-to-work policies
    • Tech industry braces for price hikes amid proposed tariffs
    • TikTok’s uncertainty pushes American to find content elsewhere
    • Audio content is on the rise
  3. CONSUMER INSIGHTS

    • Consumer fast facts
    • How consumers get around
    • Personal vehicles drive the way
    • Personal vehicles lead, but alternatives gain momentum
    • Graph 6: how one typically goes from one place to another, 2024
    • Men lead in transit variety
    • Graph 7: how one typically goes from one place to another, by gender, 2024
    • Black consumers go beyond the driver’s seat
    • Graph 8: how one typically goes from one place to another (select), overall vs Black consumers, 2024
    • Travel on the rise for a third of consumers
    • Graph 9: amount of travel between places compared to a year ago, 2024
    • Younger and middle-aged men are on the go
    • Graph 10: traveling to and from places more often, by age and gender, 2024
    • Device usage
    • Consumers are tuning in
    • Graph 11: device usage when traveling from one place to another, 2024
    • It’s gadget galore for men on the go
    • Graph 12: device usage when traveling from one place to another, by gender, 2024
    • Men are all about that bass
    • Earbuds: where style meets sound, or sound meets style?
    • Graph 13: in-ear earphones/buds usage when traveling from one place to another, by age and gender, 2024
    • Smartphones reign supreme as the audio source for budget buyers
    • Graph 14: the primary source of my audio content (eg music, talk content) is my smartphone (% agree), by household income, 2024
    • How consumers use tech while getting around
    • Commuters are b-b-bumping that beat
    • Graph 15: activities done while traveling between places, 2024
    • Consumers are listening to music while on the go
    • Graph 16: activities done while traveling between places, by age, 2024
    • Turning commutes into clicks
    • Graph 17: activities done while traveling between places (select), overall vs transit users, 2024
    • Growing awareness surrounding digital security
    • It’s better to be safe than sorry
    • Men use travel time for work, audiobooks, and gaming
    • Graph 18: working, listening to audiobooks, and playing video games while traveling between places, by gender, 2024
    • Women are connecting on the commute
    • Graph 19: talking on the phone/video call while traveling from one place to another, by age and gender, 2024
    • Half of consumers want a tech timeout
    • Graph 20: “I try to ‘disconnect’ from technology while traveling from place to place” (% agree), by age, 2024
    • Tech dependency persists despite consumer desire to unplug
    • Graph 21: “I rely on technology to keep me busy while traveling from place to place” (% agree), by age, 2024
    • Younger Americans rely on navigation apps
    • Graph 22: “I prefer to use maps (eg Apple Maps, Waze) even when I know how to get where I am going” (% agree), by age, 2024
    • Headphones & earphones
    • Bluetooth beats the tangle
    • Graph 23: features on primary headphones/earphones, 2024
    • Younger men have headphones built for action
    • Graph 24: internal memory storage for current headphones/earphones, by age and gender, 2024
    • Graph 25: sweat/water resistant feature of current headphones/earphones, by age and gender, 2024
    • Earbuds for the ages: function or fashion?
    • Graph 26: importance of factors when shopping for headphones/earphones (select), by age, 2024
    • Sound quality reigns supreme
    • Wireless is a given … now make it sound great
    • Graph 27: importance of factors when shopping for headphones/earphones, 2024
    • Affordable sound for the on-the-go generations
    • Graph 28: “I prefer buying low-priced headphones/earphones in case I lose/damage them”, by age, 2024
    • Earbuds tailored for her, please
    • Graph 29: importance of fit/comfort and brand when shopping for headphones/earphones, by gender, 2024
    • Men 18-54 and women 55+ heard it through the grapevine
    • Graph 30: importance of recommendations from family/friends when shopping for headphones/earphones, by age and gender, 2024
    • Hybrid workers are tuned in
    • Graph 31: “I often use headphones/earphones while I am at home” (% agree), by work from home status, 2024
    • Portable speakers
    • Sound and price shape speaker choices
    • Graph 32: importance of factors of when shopping for a portable speaker, 2024
    • No car? No problem – take your sound anywhere
    • Speakers are on the move! … especially from room to room
    • Graph 33: “I usually move my portable speaker to different rooms as needed (ie instead of buying speakers for each room)” (% agree), by age, 2024
    • JBL makes on-the-go sound easy
    • Sound comes first for older consumers
    • Graph 34: importance of sound quality when shopping for a portable speaker, by age, 2024
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES

    • Launch activity and innovation
    • New Bluetooth feature, Auracast, has potential to revolutionize how audio is shared
    • Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 include a new hearing aid feature
    • Neurable releases productivity-tracking headphones
    • Dolby Atmos expands immersive audio capabilities in auto and home
    • Ray-Ban and Meta’s smart glasses aim to capture more than just looks
    • Marketing and advertising
    • Marshall showcases how sound can be on the move via portable speaker
    • Brands utilize celebrity collabs to strengthen cultural relevancy and reach across female consumers
    • Samsung promotes AI integration as a way to connect across language barriers
    • JBL launches an influencer program, working with college athletes to reach younger consumers
    • Apple’s annual holiday ad promotes hearing health features with an accessibility storyline
    • Shokz’s strategy to empower female runners
    • Bose amplifies its reach with star-studded campaign
  5. APPENDIX

    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology
    • Generations
    • Abbreviations and terms

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