Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. Adults Plan to Buy Tech Gifts This Holiday Season, CTA Survey Finds, With Wireless Audio on Top
Nearly nine in 10 U.S. adults plan to shop for technology gifts this holiday season despite growing financial pressure, according to the Consumer Technology Association's (CTA) 2026 Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns study, released November 2. Only 58 percent of respondents describe their finances as stable, down significantly from 66 percent in 2025, and price is top of mind: 86 percent say pricing is extremely or very important when deciding where to buy tech gifts.
Wireless audio is the No. 1 tech gift, with 67 percent of respondents considering wireless headphones or earbuds — earbuds at 58 percent and headphones at 55 percent. Smartphones follow, with 53 percent considering one as a gift and 63 percent of those buyers eyeing a foldable or flip model. Another 67 percent may gift a subscription service, led by video, music and gaming.
On timing, 43 percent plan to do most of their gift buying from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, and 62 percent say that period offers the best deals; 81 percent expect to buy in-store and 79 percent online. Steve Koenig, CTA's vice president of market research, said technology remains central to daily life and is a gift that delivers long after the holidays, even as shoppers tighten their budgets.
(Source: Consumer Technology Association)
Source: Consumer Technology Association
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：无线蓝牙耳机与充电盒。Chenspec 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Wireless earbuds with their charging case. By Chenspec, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
