Blog/Research

The debate over the future of technology raises profound questions about society, culture, and even what it means to be human. While science fiction has long reflected our hopes and anxieties about technological change, many once-fictional innovations are now becoming reality.

As we approach the quarter mark of the 21st century, we at Focaldata have been reflecting on how past visions of the future compare to today’s reality. At the same time, we’re looking ahead – exploring what consumers might want from technology by 2035. This curiosity led to the creation of this research project.

With AI potentially ushering in a new technological epoch, technology in the coming years could bring about immense changes to the way many of us live. To thrive in this new era, brands must understand not just consumer expectations, but their vision for the future of tech.

Futuristic technologies like Apple’s Vision Pro goggles are already being piloted. By analysing consumer reactions to advertising campaigns, brands can gain valuable insights into marketing new technologies - and new products in general - in the years ahead.

This project will explore three key domains of future technology: personal tech (e.g. wearable and portable devices), home technology (like smart appliances and AI assistants) and entertainment and leisure tech (spanning gaming, virtual reality and even holographic concerts).

Our research uses a mixed-methods approach (800 quant, 100 qual) to explore what consumers want from wearable and portable tech by 2035. We cover attitudes to recent tech developments, brand favourability, future product demand, and an ad test for the Apple Vision Pro. The piece offers key lessons for brands on market demand and marketing new products in this space.

This month, we'll focus on the first category, examining the public’s attitudes towards wearable and portable tech.

Lets get into it.

What does the public think about wearable tech? In short, they’re all for it.

• 1 in 6 say portable or wearable tech is the most positive recent innovation in their lives. (12% selected mobile technology / smartphones, 2% chose wearable health tech, and 2% opted for digital cameras).
• While the internet ranks as the most impactful (29%), wearable tech comes with far less negative baggage. Half of people believe internet-related technologies have had the most negative impact on the world in the last 50 years (the Dark Web and social media were cited by 23% each, and the internet itself by 4%). In contrast, only 2% said the same for smartphones.
• Portable tech is a big opportunity–consumers are on board, and demand is growing.
• Top use cases? Staying connected with friends and family and health & fitness tracking – users love real-time insights from smartwatches: "I can see how my general health is trending, and take action if I seem to be losing condition."

Battle of the brands: Who’s winning, who’s not

• Wearable tech brands are generally well-liked, but Apple dominates in awareness and popularity. To stand out over the next decade, competitors will need a clear differentiator–likely on price.
• Using a fictional wearable tech brand, ‘Wearnova’, to benchmark our survey results, we estimate that 36% of the public has a ‘very favourable’ view of Apple, with another 29% ‘somewhat favourable’.
• Apple racks up a very impressive estimated 93% awareness score among the public (i.e. those who know enough of the brand to give an opinion of it).

More than just steps: What consumers want from health trackers

• Looking ahead, we tested new wearable products to gauge public interest. Most saw at least half of consumers very or somewhat interested.
• A ‘smart watch or strap’ that tracks glucose, blood pressure, and stress had the highest appeal, with 75% of consumers interested in buying one in the next 10 years.
• Smart earbuds that track heart rate, act as a hearing aid, protect ears from damage, or offer translation services come in second, with 66% interest.
• Augmented reality glasses (like the Apple Vision Pro), smart clothing that monitors heart rate, breathing, and posture, and smart rings for payments and phone calls all garnered around 50% interest. Each showed a steep age gradient, with younger consumers particularly drawn to them, while the smart health watch saw over two-thirds of every age group expressing interest.
• Implant technologies – e.g. ‘a small microchip inserted under the skin, which could be used instead of a contactless bank card, or as a form of ID’ – saw fairly low levels of interest, with 63% ‘not very’ or ‘not at all’ interested.
• Generally speaking, the less invasive the technology, the more likely it was to generate public interest. Companies developing Black Mirror or Severance style physical implants may struggle to garner widespread appeal for the foreseeable future!

‍Consumer expectations for future technology

• Views towards the future of technology were mixed, with excitement and nervousness appearing in equal measure.
• Many expect technology to make life easier, boosting efficiency at work and home. Respondents are also excited about advancements in health tech, like wearables offering real-time insights for preventative care.
• Some expect holographic communication to become more common, possibly inspired by the Apple Vision Pro ad we showed in the survey. One respondent predicted, “3D images, live in your living room, are the next step.”
• Many are concerned about increased reliance on technology and its impact on real-world social interactions. While this fear isn’t new, AI has sparked fresh worries about blurring the lines between the real and virtual.
• Regarding wearable and portable technology specifically, consumers expected devices to become smaller and more seamlessly integrated into our daily lives, potentially becoming so discreet that they would be undetectable to observers.
• Some believe watches and phones could be replaced by under-the-skin tech, contact lenses, or even ‘implants like Neuralink’. However, our survey suggests these technologies aren’t likely to have mass appeal anytime soon.
• Holograms resurfaced in our discussion of portable tech, with one respondent raising the possibility of holographic watches to expand the ‘physical limitations of the size of a watch face’, straight out of 1980s science fiction.

Shaping tomorrow: What consumers want from future tech

• Turning from expectations to desires, respondents wanted future smart watches to have things like ‘adaptable straps of buckles’, ‘soft insides’ and limited weight. Perhaps a soft, flesh-coloured watch could replace the hard-edged metallics of today’s technology.
• There was significant resistance to technology seen as obtrusive, particularly concerning devices worn on the face. As one respondent notes, ‘no one wants to walk around with those goggles, it ruins a look. And what if you have glasses?’
• In health tech, people want devices to track blood sugar and other advanced metrics. Wearing tech close to the skin isn’t a barrier, as long as it’s unobtrusive-after all, watches have been worn for centuries. Wearable tech that seamlessly integrates with everyday items like watches or glasses (not goggles) has greater potential for widespread adoption.

Testing the Apple Vision Pro ad: A glimpse into the future?

• To assess reactions to a real, state-of-the-art wearable technology, we played respondents an advert for the Apple Vision Pro headset. Our platform combines mixed methods, providing rapid insights from consumers’ own words, supported by quantitative data. These findings offer brands valuable lessons in how to communicate new technologies to the market over the next decade.
• 56% of respondents viewed the ad positively (23% very positive, 33% somewhat positive), while 17% had a negative reaction. ‘Intrigued’ and ‘impressed’ were the top reactions, each chosen by 35%. The ad captured attention – he respondent noted feeling 'absorbed into the wearable technology market.'
• New technologies can risk overwhelming consumers, but the futuristic angle resonated. One respondent was 'impressed and surprised that such advanced tech is on the cusp of going mainstream...not just for gamers and nerds!”
• The music in the advert played a key part in its reception and successfully bridged the divide between past, present and future with a song from 1974, creating a dose of retro-futurism.
• The ad effectively conveyed the product’s use cases, but some had concerns about its bulky design and potential disruptiveness – ‘I couldn’t imagine those scenes where people acted as though the person in the Vision Pro could see and interact with them. I think people would be more concerned that someone couldn’t.’

That’s a wrap—did these insights resonate with you? Next up, we’re diving into home tech, from smart appliances to AI assistants. Do people want more tech at home, or are they wary of its reach? Stay tuned to find out!

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