Early adopters are the first consumers to purchase a new product before the majority of the population, and often do so by ordering the product in advance of its launch date. They provide some level of feedback regarding new technology, and are therefore considered trendsetters.

Early adopters may also be people who are given privileged access to technology before it becomes available to the general population. These are the beta testers and product reviewers who, in essence, are in no way connected to the organization creating the technology and whose views are considered to be highly influential when it comes to the commercial success of the technology or the product.