10 Consumer Tech Brands to Watch in 2026
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The consumer tech market is packed with ambitious brands. But with new products launching every week – and established technology giants dominating consumers' attention – having a great product is no longer enough.
The brands cutting through in 2026 are doing something different. They're changing how we think about familiar categories, solving problems people actually care about, or creating products that are genuinely difficult to ignore.
From refurbished technology and smartphones to smart homes, wearables and screen-free entertainment, these are the consumer tech brands to watch in 2026.
10 consumer tech brands to watch in 2026
1. Nothing
Product: Smartphones and audio technology
London-based Nothing is taking on the smartphone giants with something many technology brands struggle to create: genuine cultural relevance.
Founded by Carl Pei, Nothing has built a recognisable design language across its smartphones and audio products – and a community that cares about the brand as much as the hardware.
Why it's one to watch:
- Created its distinctive Glyph Interface, using lights on the back of its phones as a new way to interact with the device.
- Built a transparent, design-led aesthetic that makes its products instantly recognisable.
- Expanded beyond smartphones into earbuds, headphones and a wider ecosystem of connected products.
- Continues to compete through design, community and brand rather than simply trying to win on specifications.
2. musicMagpie
Product: Refurbished technology and trade-in
musicMagpie is one of the UK's best-known names in refurbished technology, helping consumers buy, sell and recycle their devices.
As consumers become increasingly conscious of both what they spend and what happens to unwanted technology, its circular model is becoming increasingly relevant.
Why it's one to watch:
- Built a business around keeping smartphones and other technology in circulation for longer.
- Expanded beyond phones into laptops, tablets, smartwatches, games consoles and headphones.
- Combines trade-in, resale and refurbished technology in one consumer proposition.
- Is well positioned at the intersection of affordability and the growing circular economy.
3. Back Market | Words+Pixels PR partner
Product: Refurbished technology marketplace
Back Market has helped turn refurbished technology from something consumers settled for into something they actively want.
The French-founded marketplace has built a distinctive brand around making refurbished tech more desirable, while challenging the environmental impact of constantly buying new devices.
Why it's one to watch:
- Launched the world's first report into the environmental impact of refurbished technology.
- Created the Last Shot Gallery, turning discarded technology into art.
- Partnered with Doctor Who on Art of Regeneration, using a giant sculpture made from e-waste to challenge perceptions of refurbished tech.
- Continues to challenge the idea that the latest device is automatically the best one.
4. Yoto
Product: Screen-free audio technology for children
Yoto has taken the humble audio player and made it exciting again.
Its screen-free players let children choose stories, music and podcasts using physical cards – giving parents an alternative to handing over a smartphone or tablet.
Why it's one to watch:
- Created a card-based interface that lets children control their own listening.
- Built a content ecosystem spanning more than 1,000 stories, songs and podcasts.
- Introduced features including a night light, OK-to-wake clock, sleep sounds and room thermometer.
- Allows families to create their own physical audio cards, turning personal recordings and music into part of the experience.
5. Honest Mobile| Words+Pixels PR partner
Product: Sustainable mobile network
Honest Mobile is challenging the UK's established mobile networks with a proposition built around doing things differently.
Rather than competing purely on price or data allowances, Honest Mobile puts sustainability and transparency at the centre of its offer.
Why it's one to watch:
- Positions itself as an alternative to the UK's traditional “Big Four” mobile networks.
- Puts sustainability at the heart of its mobile proposition.
- Challenges consumers to question how their mobile network operates – not just how much data they get.
- Has built a distinctive challenger voice through company news, thought leadership and industry commentary.
6. Hammerhead | Words+Pixels PR partner
Product: Connected cycling technology
Hammerhead is bringing sophisticated technology to cycling through its Karoo cycling computer.
It sits at an interesting intersection of consumer technology, sport and connected hardware – turning data and navigation into part of the cycling experience.
Why it's one to watch:
- Developed Karoo as a high-performance alternative to established cycling computers.
- Combines navigation, mapping and performance data in a connected experience.
- Built relationships with elite cyclists and professional teams to demonstrate its technology.
- Its acquisition by cycling giant SRAM has given the brand an even bigger platform for growth.
7. CORE | Words+Pixels PR partner
Product: Wearable sports technology
CORE is taking wearable technology beyond the usual steps, sleep and heart-rate metrics.
Its technology measures core body temperature in real time, helping athletes understand how their bodies respond to heat and training.
Why it's one to watch:
- Developed technology for real-time core body temperature monitoring.
- Created a Heat Adaptation Score to help athletes understand their response to heat training.
- Brings sophisticated sports science into a wearable designed for everyday athletes as well as elite performers.
- Is helping turn heat adaptation into a mainstream sports performance conversation.
8. DREO | Words+Pixels PR partner
Product: Smart home technology
DREO is bringing connected technology into everyday home life, from air treatment to smart home appliances.
Its proposition combines practical functionality with contemporary design – making the smart home feel less like a collection of gadgets and more like part of the home itself.
Why it's one to watch:
- Combines smart technology and design across everyday home appliances.
- Uses connected features to make home comfort more personalised and responsive.
- Is expanding its presence in the UK consumer technology market.
- Operates in a smart home category that is moving rapidly beyond speakers and security into everyday appliances.
9. Emm | Words+Pixels PR partner
Product: Smart menstrual health technology
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Emm is bringing technology and data to menstrual health with a smart menstrual cup designed to measure menstrual flow.
It is part of a wider shift towards consumer technology that doesn't simply make existing products smarter, but creates entirely new possibilities for understanding our health.
Why it's one to watch:
- Developed a smart menstrual cup capable of measuring menstrual flow.
- Addresses a significant lack of objective data around menstruation.
- Combines femtech, consumer technology and reproductive health.
- Has the potential to give women better information about their own menstrual health.
10. Ohme
Product: Smart EV charging technology
Ohme is tackling one of the less glamorous – but increasingly important – parts of electric vehicle ownership: charging at home.
Its smart chargers connect EVs, homes and energy use, helping drivers manage when and how their vehicles charge.
Why it's one to watch:
- Developed smart EV chargers that connect charging with energy management.
- Helps drivers take advantage of cheaper electricity periods.
- Brings EV charging into the wider connected home ecosystem.
- Sits at the intersection of consumer technology, energy and mobility – three categories increasingly converging.
What makes these consumer tech brands worth watching?
The most interesting consumer technology brands in 2026 aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets.
They're the ones changing the conversation.
Back Market is changing perceptions of refurbished technology. Nothing is challenging what a smartphone brand can look like. Yoto is rethinking how children consume entertainment. Honest Mobile is questioning the traditional mobile network model.
And that is what makes consumer tech PR so interesting.
A great product gives a brand something to talk about. But the brands that consistently earn attention are the ones that find the bigger story around what they're doing.
Looking for Consumer Tech PR?
At Words+Pixels, we work with some of the UK's most ambitious consumer technology and challenger brands, including Back Market, Honest Mobile, Hammerhead, CORE, DREO and Emm.
Find out more about Words+Pixels →
FAQs: Consumer Tech PR
1. What are the biggest consumer tech trends in the UK in 2026?
Some of the biggest consumer technology trends include refurbished and circular tech, wearable technology, smart homes, connected devices, EV technology, femtech and screen-free products for children.
2. What makes a consumer tech brand stand out?
The strongest consumer tech brands combine a genuinely differentiated product with a clear identity and compelling story. In a crowded market, consumers need a reason to remember a brand – not simply understand what its product does.
3. What is consumer tech PR?
Consumer tech PR uses media relations, creative campaigns, product launches, thought leadership and storytelling to build awareness and credibility for technology brands among consumers and the wider media.
4. Which consumer tech brands does Words+Pixels work with?
Words+Pixels works with ambitious consumer technology brands including Back Market, Honest Mobile, Hammerhead, CORE, DREO and Emm.
5. How can a consumer tech brand get more media coverage?
The strongest consumer tech PR strategies go beyond product announcements. Original research, expert commentary, founder stories, product launches, consumer insights, cultural trends and creative campaigns can all give journalists a reason to cover a brand.
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