Tech companies are always looking for the next big thing and are sometimes too ambitious or release half-baked products that nobody wants. There's a fine line between success and failure, and the only way to know if new products like the Apple Vision Pro or Humane AI Pin will work is to release them to the market. Other hyped tech, like AI chatbots, get pushed by companies until the market gets saturated and people get put off using them.

The bottom line is that the road to innovation is paved with products that didn't make the cut for one reason or another. The ten tech flops listed here are perfect examples of products that deserved to fail because they couldn't meet the hype surrounding them.

9 Sony PSP Go

An overpriced handheld

Sony's first PSP was a huge success, prompting the company to follow up with a smaller, lighter version called the PSP Go in 2009. The PSP Go featured a sliding design with a 3.8-inch display on the top layer and controls on the bottom. The lack of a UMD slot was controversial because there was no backward compatibility with older PSP models, and buyers were forced to download digital games, which were still a novelty at the time.

The PSP Go also had a $250 price tag, which was relatively high then, especially since Sony's flagship PS3 cost around $300. Mobile games started taking off around this time, and casual gamers were turning to their phones to play instead of investing in dedicated and overpriced hardware. These factors led to lackluster sales for the PSP Go, which was discontinued in 2011, just two years after its launch.

8 Google Glass

Before its time

Google Glass was an ambitious project to bring augmented reality glasses into the mainstream. The outlandish design was a precursor to modern smart glasses and featured a frame with a touchpad on the arm to control the built-in 5MP camera and 640 x 360 display. It ran on a version of Android called Glass OS and was powered by an OMAP 4430 CPU with 2GB of RAM and 12GB of storage space.

Launched in 2013 with a hefty $1,500 price tag, the Google Glass was scorned for its awkward design, with many raising privacy concerns about its built-in camera. Many also questioned its safety because the screen could be distracting when driving or doing other tasks. The first-generation Google Glass was discontinued in 2015, and the last Enterprise Edition was laid to rest in 2023. However, its legacy lives on, and modern alternatives like the XREAL Air 2 and Ray-Ban Meta prove that users don't mind augmented reality displays and cameras in glasses if they have a tasteful design and a decent price.

7 Sega Dreamcast

The end of an era

Sega was once mentioned in the same breath as Nintendo as a premium console player after the success of the Genesis. However, it took a significant hit when Sony's revolutionary PlayStation trounced its next-gen Saturn, and the Dreamcast was the company's bid at making a comeback. The DreamCast launched in the US in 1999 with eighteen available titles and had decent sales of around 1.5 million units by the end of the year.

Things changed in 2000 with the launch of the Sony PlayStation 2 in March. Sony's console offered superior hardware for better graphics, a built-in DVD player, and backward compatibility with the original PlayStation. It was the final nail in the coffin for Sega's hardware division, which took significant losses and pulled the plug on the Dreamcast in 2001, just three years after launch. Sega continues to make games, like the Sonic X Shadow Generations and Total War: Warhammer III, but its console ambitions died with the Dreamcast.

6 3D TVs

Couldn't capture the cinematic experience

The release of James Cameron's blockbuster, Avatar, in 2009 kicked off the 3D trend, which brands were quick to try and capitalize on. Many thought 3D home viewing was the next big thing, and TV channels and manufacturers came together to make it a reality. Right off the bat, there wasn't enough 3D content for consumers to justify spending top-dollar on a new TV.

The TVs themselves had issues that made them impractical for daily viewing. Viewers could only enjoy 3D content with compatible glasses, which added to the cost factor and were often proprietary to a single brand. To enjoy the 3D effect, viewers needed to sit directly in front of the screen, which limited its viewing angles. However, people were put off 3D TVs mainly because the glasses got uncomfortable and caused eye strain with long-term use. The 3D TV fad was impractical and didn't last long, with most brands ceasing production by around 2017.

5 Windows Phone

Couldn't match the competition

In 2010, Microsoft decided to go up against Android and Apple in the mobile market but was late to the party. The Windows Phone 7 mobile OS offered a fresh alternative to the established players with its live tile interface and included familiar apps like Internet Explorer and Office. It initially launched on ten phones from brands like Dell, HTC, LG, and Samsung before Microsoft partnered with Nokia to further the brand.

By the time Microsoft launched its OS, most users were already firmly in the Android and iPhone camps and the company had a tough time breaking into the market. The limited range of devices didn't help Microsoft's cause, especially since Nokia's brand identity had declined for years. Developers were also hesitant to commit to another mobile operating system with a small market share compared to its competitors. Ultimately, the Windows Phone didn't catch on as a mainstream option, and the brand struggled until 2020 when it was eventually discontinued.

4 Nintendo Wii U

A marketing fiasco

Nintendo's attempt to replicate the success of its hit Wii hit a wall because of a combination of factors. The Wii U dropped in 2012 and prominently featured the new GamePad in its advertising material as the standout feature. The Wii U name and the confusing ad campaign led many to believe that the GamePad was an accessory for the older model instead of an entirely new console.

Despite being marketed as the main feature, the GamePad was bulky and had mediocre battery life. The console offered average performance and didn't stand a chance against the Sony PS4 and Xbox One, delivering superior performance and a better gaming experience. Consoles usually launch with some must-have exclusive titles. Wii U's collection of third-party games was available elsewhere and wasn't compelling enough for buyers to try a new system. Nintendo discontinued the Wii U in 2017 but bounced back with the Switch, which is probably one of its best consoles of all time.

3 Amazon Fire Phone

The company got burnt

Amazon loves expanding into new product lines in its never-ending quest for cash but got burnt with the disastrous Fire Phone from 2014. The Amazon Fire Phone was the company's first foray into mobile territory with a 4.7-inch touchscreen powered by a Snapdragon 800 chip, 2GB of RAM, and 32 or 64 GB of storage space. It ran on a modified version of Android called Fire OS with Amazon apps instead of Google Play Store, which required sideloading to work.

Breaking into the competitive smartphone market is challenging. Amazon's premium asking price for an average product with limited apps backfired because of the superior alternatives available. Its unique feature, Dynamic Perspective, which adjusted the interface based on the user's movements, didn't catch on and left the Fire Phone with nothing to offer. The Fire Phone was discontinued in 2015, just over a year after launch, prompting Amazon to leave the phone game for good.

2 Apple Pippin

A forgotten console

Apple is known for its innovative products, but its game console failed spectacularly and is almost forgotten. The Pippen was made in conjunction with Japan's Bandai corporation and launched in 1996 as a console that doubled as a multimedia device to play music and watch videos. Its hardware and software were based on Apple's Macintosh computer, including a PowerPC 603 CPU running at 66Hz, and offered up to 16-bit color with 640x480 resolution. As a multimedia device, it also included a CD-ROM and had printer and AV ports to connect peripherals.

Launched at a whopping $600, the Bandai Pippen @ World, as it was known, cost around double the price of its rivals, the PlayStation and Nintendo N64. The price would have made sense if it could deliver the goods, but it couldn't and lacked the processing power to be a viable alternative. The limited number of titles didn't help either and condemned the Pippen to failure. It was discontinued in 1998 after selling a dismal 12,000 units in the US and was the last time Apple entered the console market.

1 Humane AI Pin

Half-baked and overpriced

Humane's AI Pin was meant to usher in a new era of AI-powered wearables that do away with large screens in favor of voice assistants. The idea is that it attaches to your clothes and can make calls, send messages, or answer questions with simple voice activation, so you don't need to use your clunky phone or get distracted by screens. You can also capture photos and videos with the built-in camera and use the tiny built-in projector to read messages and notes on your hand.

While good in theory, the Humane AI Pin received scathing reviews at launch, with many complaining about its limited functionality, clunky operation, and mediocre camera. The hefty $699 launch price and $24 monthly subscription didn't do it any favors, especially when buyers could get a decent smartphone for the same money. Unsurprisingly, the Humane AI Pin flopped, and the brand is now folding and selling its assets to HP.

Which tech flop was the biggest failure?

Many tech flops, like Google Glass, result from companies trying to innovate or push products the market isn't ready for. Others, like the Apple Pippen and Amazon Fire Phone, are blatant cash grabs that failed because they couldn't justify their exorbitant costs. The truth is that it's impossible to innovate without taking risks, and many ground-breaking products we consider to be successes could have been failures if released at a different time or price.