Consumer Electronics

Futuresource Consulting welcomes Cinemo as Platinum Sponsor for this year’s Audio Collaborative event, taking place at London’s Ham Yard Hotel on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. The one-day summit will bring together the industry’s leading voices to explore the technologies, behaviours and business models shaping the future of sound. 

According to the latest quarterly tracker from Futuresource Consulting, global headphone shipments grew by just 1% year-on-year in Q4 2025, surpassing 223 million units. Yet value increased at a slightly greater rate of 3%, signalling a market that is increasingly driven by consumers trading up into higher-value devices.

Nearly three-quarters of headphone buyers have a retail brand in mind before they begin researching their next purchase. That’s according to new primary consumer research from Futuresource Consulting, which highlights how much of the decision process now happens long before formal research begins. 

Futuresource Consulting has confirmed that its flagship one-day event will return to London on Wednesday 11 November 2026, bringing together the industry’s leading voices at the Ham Yard Hotel for a day of insight, debate and high-value networking.

OpenAI is expected to introduce its first proprietary hardware product in the second half of 2026, according to comments made this week by Chief Global Affairs Officer, Chris Lehane.  He described the forthcoming AI device as one of OpenAI’s most anticipated initiatives for the year but declined to provide details on form factor or functionality.  

Futuresource Consulting is pleased to confirm its role as an event partner for the Global Audio Summit (GAS) 2026. The event will be held on 25–26th March 2026 at the Shanghai Zhangjiang Science Hall.

Last month, Futuresource Consulting’s Audio Collaborative 2025 opened with a data-rich session that set the tone for the day. In his keynote, Futuresource’s Head of Audio, Guy Hammett, delivered a comprehensive overview of the forces shaping the consumer, automotive and professional audio markets worldwide. 

In a year defined by rapid shifts in audio, entertainment and intelligent listening, Futuresource Consulting’s Audio Collaborative 2025 brought the entire industry together. Taking place on 12th November at London’s Soho Hotel, it presented a day of expert perspectives, generous knowledge-sharing and rare cross-sector conversation. 

The conversation around hearing health is rapidly evolving, and nowhere was this more evident than at the Audio Collaborative 2025 conference. The panel on “The Future of Hearing Health” brought together leading voices from across the industry - Rasika D’Souza (Futuresource), Blair Werp (Qualcomm), Alastair Moore (RNID), and Elfed Howells (Elevear)  who set to the stage to discuss how technology, design, and innovation are shaping a more inclusive and healthier audio future. 

Futuresource Consulting has appointed David Watkins as its new Director of Consumer Electronics & Media, reinforcing the company’s commitment to intensifying its global influence across entertainment, devices and connected ecosystems.

The global wearables market continues to expand in all directions, but its centre of gravity is shifting. Futuresource Consulting’s new Global Wearables Market Outlook 2025 report reveals that while wrist-worn devices are entering a new phase of maturity, a fresh surge of innovation is emerging in smart glasses. This category is growing at pace, and reshaping how consumers think about connected technology ecosystems. 

Growth in the global home audio market may have stagnated, but the surrounding conversation is changing fast. That’s according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest Audio Tech Lifestyles consumer research study, which reveals that while home audio device ownership across key product categories remains healthy, there is strong momentum behind how consumers are embracing artificial intelligence. 

The future of audio is open for debate, and some of the biggest names in the industry are stepping up to the mic. Audio Collaborative 2025, the annual strategy summit hosted by Futuresource Consulting, returns to London’s Soho Hotel on 12 November, with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. joining as Diamond Sponsor and HARMAN confirmed as Gold Sponsor. 

Futuresource Consulting has released the latest episode of its acclaimed Future Sessions video series, featuring Carl Hibbert, Research Director, in conversation with Mats Larsson, Head of Storage Media. This insightful session explores the evolving landscape of HDD and SSD technologies, market disruptions, and the strategic pivots shaping the future of data storage.