The digital consumer in 2026: how consumer behaviour is changing across 5G, AI, eSIM, devices and content

Premium
The digital consumer in 2026: how consumer behaviour is changing across 5G, AI, eSIM, devices and content
This insight is locked

Access this insight with a Premium plan. Contact our sales team to get started.


Or

Report details

The digital consumer in 2026: how consumer behaviour is changing across 5G, AI, eSIM, devices and content
Released
JANUARY 2026

Price

£3250

EX. VAT

This report is one of more than 140 published annually as part of the GSMA Intelligence data and research subscription, which is designed for organisations that require regular access to our insights. Contact our sales team for details.

Contact us

The digital consumer landscape continues to evolve, driven by the rise of new technologies and shifting consumer behaviour, including purchase decisions. The impact of change can be seen in the unprecedented levels of innovations in devices, services and connectivity, as well as fierce competition.

GSMA Intelligence conducts a yearly consumer survey across some of the major developed countries worldwide to provide fresh insights into the evolution of consumer behaviour and consumer technologies in the digital era.

Leveraging data from the 2025 survey, conducted between June and August, this report provides relevant insights into how the consumer behaviour is changing across eight topic areas: 5G; devices; eSIM; generative AI; pay TV; gaming; the metaverse and extended reality; and sustainability. Further reports focused on the individual topics will be published in the upcoming months – a valuable asset for companies looking to formulate or adjust their B2C commercial strategies and offerings.

Authors

How to access this report

Annual subscription: Subscribe to our research modules for comprehensive access to more than 200 reports per year.

Enquire about subscription

Contact our research team

Get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis.

Contact our research team

Media

To cite our research, please see our citation policy in our Terms of Use, or contact our Media team for more information.

Learn more

Related research

Industry Checkpoint: pay TV, Q1 2026

Premium
Topic
Pay TV

This edition of the Industry Checkpoint series focuses on pay TV, including traditional pay TV and OTT video services, highlighting how the market has changed in the last six months and its implications. The report considers four major developments: M&A activity intensifying throughout the media value chain; Charter turning a corner, providing a glimmer of hope for US cable-TV operators under pressure; a new wave of win–win partnerships emerging in OTT video; and an example of a new business model making inroads in pay-TV distribution.

This insight is locked

On-device AI: mobile network filler or saviour?

Topics
Devices
Artificial intelligence (AI)

On-device AI is the next frontier for AI deployments in consumer and enterprise segments. Use cases include AI-based search and personal assistants, image analytics on a smartphone, AI-assisted driving and navigation in cars, industrial applications such as automated guided vehicles, and improved IoT analytics. This has implications for the device world and major tech companies whose business models depend on consumer time on the internet and digital platforms. It also matters for operators, given the ripple effect of AI-driven data traffic on mobile and fibre networks, and the direct revenue opportunity.

Sponsored content
This insight is locked

5G in Context, Q4 2025

Standard
Topic
5G

This quarterly review of global 5G developments provides a concise, tracker-style deliverable, presenting key metrics and forecasts in an easy-to-access and engaging way. GSMA Intelligence has aggregated the latest data on 5G connections and adoption, as well as information on network trials/launches and spectrum assignments.

This insight is locked
Full access
Get full access to our research now, get in touch with us to find out more about our research topics and analysis
  • 200 reports a year
  • 50 million data points
  • Over 350 metrics