Biggest Tech Product Failures Of 2016

From exploding phones to smart belts, things that made technology look bad in 2016.

Chandrakant 'CK' Isi
20th Dec 2016

Follow @MiserlyGeek

Share this

Technology has become an integral part of our life. Most of us can't even manage through a day without the smartphones, computers, and Internet access. Sometimes though, a genuinely good idea fails due to bad execution. That's exactly what we are going to cover in this article. So sit back as we take you through the list of biggest tech flops of 2016:

Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Thanks to the incredible success of the Galaxy S7 edge, Samsung was having a "blast". Its other flagship smartphone Galaxy Note 7 too was off to a brilliant start. The powerful and feature-packed Note 7 received rave reviews from the media. Soon though, the handset started making headlines for wrong reasons. The Note 7 had a weird tenancy to self-immolate. Within a month of its launch, the phone caused fire panic on multiple aircrafts and sent a few people from the US, Taiwan, and Australia to hospitals. In effect, the Korean tech giant had to apologise to the consumers and recall all the units.

GoPro Karma
GoPro is one of the biggest names in action camera market. When the company announced its aerial camera Karma, the anticipation was sky high. Going by the initial reviews, the drone-based camera did a great job at capturing breathtaking aerial videos. However, within two weeks, the consumers started reporting random crashes. GoPro acknowledged that its products are falling out of the sky due to losing power and recalled all the units over safety concerns. The company, which was banking on Karma's success to bounce back, had to refund full money to the customers.

Digitsoles Smart Shoes
Digitsoles' smart shoes are straight out of a geek's fantasy. You can tighten it using a smartphone app. It has a built-in accelerometer keeps and pedometer to keep track of your activity. The pair of shoes can push the data regarding the calorie burn to your smartphone. The shoes ship with wireless (induction) charging mat for convinient charging. Priced at $450, Digitsoles' smart shoes also keep your feet warm in the winters. Sounds good, right? However, the end product turned out be so hideous that nobody bought these shoes. Samsung Welt As if all those health trackers inside your smartphone or on your wrist weren't enough, Samsung is putting one on your trouser belt. Dubbed as Welt, this wearable can keep track of your wast size, eating habits, and calories burned. By measuring the belt tension, the belt can detect over-eating. Well, that's something you can sense on a normal belt too. The Welt uses Bluetooth sync with your smartphone. The creators think that the "waist is the new wrist", but most consumers aren't ready to wear a product that puts a micro USB port on your buckle.

Xcooter
Xcooter is a folding electric scooter meant for the cities. Developed by Miami-based Smart-Rhino, the Xcooter is made of aluminium alloy body. The lightweight vehicle has a range of 15 miles on a single charge. The maximum speed you can attain is 17 miles per hour. During the launch, the company claimed that the xcooter is idea for short trips to your friend's house or a corner shop. However, it seems the consumers weren't convinced. Within a few months after the launch, Xcooter disappeared from the stores and even the official website got abandoned by the manufacturer. If you wonder why this product was doomed, simply look at its design. The only attire that goes well this electric scooter is a dunce cap.

Samsung Welt
As if all those health trackers inside your smartphone or on your wrist weren't enough, Samsung is putting one on your trouser belt. Dubbed as Welt, this wearable can keep track of your wast size, eating habits, and calories burned. By measuring the belt tension, the belt can detect over-eating. Well, that's something you can sense on a normal belt too. The Welt uses Bluetooth sync with your smartphone. The creators think that the "waist is the new wrist", but most consumers aren't ready to wear a product that puts a micro USB port on your buckle.