Trend experts say we should expect consumer tech as a statement accessory to catch on even more in 2026, as brands lean into the idea that tech hardware can be objects that spark joy, in contrast to the backdrop of existential uncertainty brought about by invisible technology like AI.

In 2025, we increasingly saw brands experiment with consumer tech hardware as statement accessories. Coperni played on Y2K electro-kitsch and released a special Tamagotchi in March, fused with the design of its signature Swipe bag, which models wore hooked to bags at its Fall/Winter 2025 show.