Mediocrity runs like wildfire in the 21st century and we’re surrounded by it without realizing. Yes, technology has advanced rapidly, bearing fruits such as electrical appliances and gadgets that we certainly can’t live without. But then there are some products that show early promise but turn out to be completely useless and gimmicky. But sometimes, these worthless, elitist products are so overhyped that no one can openly admit their flaws. We’ve prepared an interesting list of such gadgets that are a fail, despite of their popularity and media hype.
1. Air Pods
image source: cnn twitter
There’s no denying the fact that these weird-looking Bluetooth headphones were doomed from start. The news of the iPhone 7 not being equipped with a 3.5 mm jack was taken with a grain of salt. But roaming around with a pair of toothbrush-like appendages hanging from your ears, wasn’t something we can ever be comfortable with. Their non-conventional (not to mention downright goofy) designed was appalled by fans and critics alike, topped with the $160 price tag made it look like a huge scam (apart from the fancy carry case). While there was a segment of fans and buyers who wanted to try these out, but delays in their launch and shipment ensured their scarred imagery in popular media.
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2. Every Smartwatch Ever
The concept of having a wearable, wrist-watch sized smartphone sure sounds enticing; Only if it was to be used in a Hollywood spy movie (too much Bond perhaps?). However, the technology was still made available to consumers because why not it’s pointless. Imagine talking to your wrist, every time someone made a phone call. This, topped with the awfully small screen and smartphone dependency has prevented smartwatches from ever becoming anything more than expensive ploys to sell more products to consumers. At least till they get better holographic technology, it would be advisable to stick to regular watches.
3. Microsoft Zune
The never-ending war between Apple and Microsoft has become an essential part of popular culture through news, the internet, and memes. But Apple’s best-documented market victory over a Microsoft product was clearly demonstrated with the launch of the Zune music player. Launched by Microsoft, Zune was a portable music player device that was supposed to compete with Apple iPod.
The device received a lot of media hype since Microsoft is no small fish and was a complete disappointment when it came out. The hype never managed to attract customers for Zune, with several features like wireless sharing being limited due to record label restrictions. The product went out almost as soon as it came out and hardly anyone remembers it now.
4. Hadron Collider
Sure, it’s the largest particle collider on this planet but that surely doesn’t cut it if it doesn’t work. This might sound like a burn but this ‘so-called’ key to the secrets of the universe has failed to provide any substantial result ever since it was first installed at CERN. The machine remains non-functional half the time due to some system malfunction and hasn’t produced any plausible theories or scientific discoveries. Although not a lot of people bother to say it, this is turning to be a bane for CERN and their aspirations of particle physics breakthroughs.
5. Any Accessory by Apple
We’ve already talked about their Air Pods, but it doesn’t end right there. Apple has introduced countless accessories that are not only expensive but can easily be replaced by alternative products in the market that is far superior. We’re not trying to say that these accessories are worthless, but their premium price tag, yet mediocre performance ensures that will always be labeled as bait for consumerists and elitists.
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6. NES Classic Edition
To be honest, we loved the idea of a portable 8-bit console by none other than Nintendo. But did we just want 30 games when the entire NES library (including Famicom games) can easily be consolidated on a single device? Not to mention the extremely short length of its controller wire that felt like this was supposed to be played from a showcase and not like a regular console. Although it came at a humble price of $80 made it appear enticing, the lack of availability in stores made them pointlessly overhyped.
7. Flip Notebooks
With the introduction of tablets, the popularity of laptops has surely waned. But since we’re still aching for a tablet device as powerful as most laptops, manufacturers try their best to keep the market alive. One of such miserable attempts can surely be flip notebooks such as Lenovo Yoga, Asus Chromebook, Dell Inspiron 2 in 1, etc. They’re not bad gadgets when it comes to performance, but their premium price for such a small functionality improvement surely sounds like snake oil, to begin with.
8. E-Readers
image source: theawkwardyeti.com
Use E-Readers because simply having a tablet to read E-books is too mediocre. This pretty much sums up why having a specialized E Reader device such as Amazon Kindle is nothing but the elitist in you. To make things even worse, Amazon Kindle is also available as a smartphone app that enables your smartphone or tablet to do exactly what Kindle reader does.
9. Karma Drone
image source: memegenerator.net
Another great gadget that failed due to its early launch. GoPro is certainly a revolutionary gadget that allows people to capture videos from a high def camera that can be mounted anywhere. It is used by a wide range or professionals such as filmmakers, musicians, and extreme adventure sports enthusiasts. It was certainly promising to get a remote-controlled drone to mount the camera on and take videos like never before. Sadly, the Karma Drone failed its promise, first due to delays in shipment and later due to their abrupt battery life that made drones fall randomly from the sky without warning.
though a lot of readers might disagree with some points in this list, there’s no denying the fact that new features and changes aren’t always asked for. And the above products exemplify how consumerism isn’t a good thing at all. If you have any suggestions or arguments, please feel free to use the comments section below, and have a happy weekend.
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