GN Group Announces Surprising Decision to Exit True Wireless Earbuds Consumer Space

In the same day that Jabra announced its latest Elite Generation 2 advanced true wireless earbuds with the best ever ANC implementation, Peter Karlstromer, CEO of the GN Group announced also the decision to "gradually wind-down its Elite and Talk product lines." The motivation for this surprising exit strategy are the heavy investment levels required to innovate in a very competitive space, and the conviction that GN should focus on its more profitable Hearing division.

Qualcomm just published its 2023 State of Sound report. The focus for this year's survey is on evolving consumer uses of wireless audio devices, from traditional use cases like music listening, voice calls and watching video, to the more complex use of devices in the workplace, for gaming and hearing enhancement. As usage increases, highlights indicate new consumer priorities from their audio devices.

The global spread of COVID-19 presents new challenges to consumer electronics (CE) vendors and retailers alike. However, in an industry already disrupted by changing consumer habits and a polarization of online and high street, CE retail appears to be faring well when compared with other retail segments. A new research report from Futuresource Consulting explores the retail journey of consumers when they buy headphones, TVs and wireless speakers, and points to a significant shift to online that began prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Futuresource Consulting unveiled its latest Home Audio Worldwide Loudspeaker Report which demonstrates that the market is showing resilience despite shifting listening habits, as consumers look beyond traditional audio products, fixing their sights on smart speakers and headphones. The recent changes in loudspeaker preferences means trade value is faring better than volume, according to the new worldwide loudspeaker report from Futuresource.

Music subscription services are gaining traction as the dominant way consumers listen to music, with smartphones and new devices, such as smart speakers, driving adoption of these services, especially among younger audiences. "Audiomonitor 2018: The Overall Music Listening Landscape," is a new report provided to the Music Business Association (Music Biz) from research firm AudienceNet. The report was based on a survey of a statistically and demographically representative sample of the US population (3000 participants, aged 16+).

An estimated 51.2 million American adults (45% of all shoppers) bought or planned to buy consumer technology products during the 2014 Thanksgiving shopping weekend, according to a survey by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). Several areas saw notable spending growth over last year, including reported spending per person and tech purchases in wearables, TVs, wireless speakers and tablets.