One of the quintessential visuals for showing innovation in the early 2000s was the image of an iPhone and then everything it replaced…flip phone, calculator, mp3 player, camera, GPS, compass, watch, etc. The list is endless, and would be even longer with 2026’s standard set of apps.
It’s never been easier to carry everything you might need with you in digital format.
But what I’ve found fascinating in recent months is a cluster of signals around the unbundling of apps commonly found on smartphones…
Signal 1: Back to the iPod
My first hint of this signal came from a colleague who had a classic iPod on his desk at the office. I inquired about the device and we had a great discussion about seeking a distraction-free, algorithm-free listening experience of music you actually chose and sequenced with intentionality. As a beginning-to-end album listener even on Spotify, I could see the appeal. Shortly after this conversation, I read about this broader occurrence of iPods re-emerging on eBay with significant buyer momentum bolstered by Gen Z interest.
Why this matters: Fatigue with the abundance and ease of streaming music may be an early indicator of overall technology shifts, at least for a subset of the market. Implications abound for the music streaming industry as well as adjacent industries that are streaming-oriented.
Signal 2: Landline Pods for Kids
I’ve also read a few stories about groups of parents establishing “pods” of landlines to give their kids a way to communicate with each other outside of school without moving right to a smartphone or tablet. Tin Can, a wi-fi connected landline style phone, is a popular brand, while others are going right back to traditional phone numbers connected to existing communication services. Importantly, this model works best when there are multiple kids using landlines to call each other, making this shift more prone to appear in clusters. Through these landline pods, kids stay connected with friends and build communication skills while parents have fewer worries about tech overload.
Why this matters: At first glance, smartphones and tablets as communication devices felt like a possible “one size fits all ages” solution. This cluster of signals around landlines indicates that the innovation market may be broader than previously thought, and a wider array of communication solutions may be needed to meet needs at different ages.
Signal 3: Retro Cameras
A new product that caught my eye on an Instagram ad is a snazzy little camera called Pikko sold by Finch Holm, a family-owned, wellbeing-focused company. Pikko is a miniature camera that offers one-click capture with a retro lens that yields a more nostalgia vibe than a realism capture. Photos are exported through an SD card – with no editing options. The output moves away from the polished, cleaned up photos we’ve gotten accustomed to and brings back memories of the surprising, perhaps blurred, and spontaneous feeling of instant cameras and early digital models. I haven’t seen these in the wild yet, but I’m curious about the user experience.
Why this matters: Technology makes perfection, speed, and precision attainable. This camera speaks to a different aesthetic, and that may be indicative of a broader trend away from polish and towards authentic, gritty, and grounded experiences.
When considered individually, each of these signals shows a choice to opt for an older device, or a new device functioning as an older model would have. They’re all interesting, and enough to make you say “hmm.” Together, these signals, alongside longer term established trends like the re-emergence of instant cameras and revival of record players and increase of vinyl sales, speak to a potential new driver of technology unbundling. We could be on the brink of a broader shift where we pull back from combinatorial devices and tools and step back to appreciate and focus on specific devices and functions with intention.
This cluster becomes even more interesting to consider when you look at established drivers moving in opposing directions. The rate of automation deployment, which hinges on compounding technology capabilities, has a projected compound annual growth rate of nearly 31.9% by 2034. Conversely, the Gen Z/Luddite movement, which opts for no technology at all, regardless of bundling level, has grown from a few pockets in schools to an entire in-person festival in summer 2026.
Three insights for you – regardless of industry:
Individual signals are curious, but clusters of signals are where the story lives. If you’re new to signal scanning, check out my recent guide to signal scanning post for an introduction to the process and a downloadable resource guide. The strongest foresight learnings live in the connections between unrelated categories — the common threads that only become visible when signals are considered together.
Aesthetic and emotional value can outperform functional performance, and this is a customer choice to pay attention to. We see this all the time in higher ed. A prospective college student may opt for an online university that has a physical campus even if they will never step foot there because there’s a different aesthetic association with that institution. This is always something interesting to watch in the customer decision-making process.
Intentionality is a decision. Selecting a different path, device, or process because of a targeted experience or outcome, even when an alternative exists or is built in, suggests the emergence of consumers looking for something specific, or different, even in a time when outputs are abundant. At a time when it’s never been easier to create – as the unprecedented spike in apps being released in 2026 shows us – purpose is still a critical driver to watch.
I’m curious; where have you seen a push to or pull away from technology bundling?
Thanks for reading Strategy Stories by Lavorgna Strategy Studio!
About Strategy Stories
Strategy Stories is built on a single belief: the most useful strategic insights don’t always come from inside your industry. Through this platform, Jackie Lavorgna, PhD, SMP shares case studies, analyses, and anecdotes for curious leaders, strategists, innovators, and futurists — spanning readers throughout the United States and across 16+ countries.
Strategy Stories is the insights vertical of Lavorgna Strategy Studio, a consultancy helping leaders, teams, and organizations prepare and plan for the future through strategic planning and strategic foresight.