The tech industry is now undoubtedly huge, with thousands of new products hitting the market every year. And while some live up to their expectations, others fall flat after the hype. So, which tech items released over the past five years were hugely overrated?
1. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Fold
Flip phones were everywhere in the 2000s but quickly faded from the mainstream when touchscreen phones hit the market. Many thought we'd never see flip phones gain hype again, but then came the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Fold.
The Galaxy Z Flip was released in early 2020, while the Fold was released a few months prior. People had imagined flippable touchscreen phones before, but it wasn't until the Galaxy Z Flip that they became widely accessible to the public. There was a lot of excitement surrounding this phone, which could switch from wide to compact in seconds, but this hype was short-lived.
After the release of the Galaxy Z Flip and Fold, complaints about its design and quality soon arose. Firstly, its folding feature was by no means perfect. People found that noticeable creases were appearing on their screens after multiple folds. The same went for the Galaxy Fold, with customers taking to Twitter to showcase these flaws.
It seems that foldable touchscreens still need a little work before they can be used repeatedly without warps and creases. Time will tell whether this will be achieved!
2. NVIDIA RTX 4090
NVIDIA's GPU range is undoubtedly an industry leader, but even this tech giant has released a few duds. In October 2022, NVIDIA released its latest iteration in its RTX series, the 4090. This super powerful GPU gained a lot of hype from gamers and crypto miners alike, but problems soon presented themselves after the release.
A very concerning issue that many RTX 4090 owners experienced was melting. That's right, melting. The sheer heat emitted by the RTX 4090 led to the melting of customers' connector cables. This is not only unsafe but makes the RTX 4090 totally unusable for some. However, NVIDIA fought back against this criticism, stating that improper connecting of the connector is what causes the melting, not the GPU itself.
3. The Metaverse
The metaverse has been something of a joke for many since it became a mainstream term in 2021. The concepts behind the metaverse were certainly interesting: a VR-based world where people could game, learn and make friends from the comfort of their homes.
But the past few years have shown that the world is certainly not keen on the metaverse. Some worry about its ethical aspects, such as the parameters around assault within the metaverse, while others believe that it can lead to addiction.
On top of this, many simply don't see a need for the metaverse. In other words, they do not feel that it offers much on top of their regular lives. Given how expensive it can be to buy your own VR headset and software, it's unlikely that someone would invest without a real need to. All in all, the metaverse just hasn't won the hearts of the people. But this may change in the future!
4. NFTs
Like the metaverse, NFTs have been the butt of many jokes in recent years. NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are unique assets that often represent an image, video, or sound file. While the file itself can be copied and pasted anywhere, users pay for ownership of the file. Throughout 2021, the NFT market grew rapidly, with thousands of investors around the world looking to get in on this new trend.
But many people simply didn't see the point in these assets, as they don't provide the user with any product or inherent value. For example, when you buy a typical art piece, you are paying for the physical work. But owning an NFT doesn't give you exclusive access to the work itself, just a token showing that you own it.
What's more, the NFT industry is rife with scammers looking to make a buck from unsuspecting buyers. Given that some NFTs have sold for tens of millions of dollars (such as those from the CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club collections), it's no surprise that cybercriminals have exploited this market for financial gain.
5. Google Stadia
Google Stadia didn't reach the heights that were expected, despite the project receiving a lot of hype. This was a cloud gaming service launched by Google in November 2019, though it didn't take long for users to note its general futility.
Firstly, Google Stadia had little to no exciting or popular games on offer, meaning it simply couldn't compete with other gaming platforms and providers. On top of this, the platform suffered from a range of technical issues that put users off massively.
In early 2023, Google shut down Stadia. While Google is certainly a tech giant, it isn't a leader in all realms of the industry, including gaming.
6. Overwatch 2
If you're into gaming, then you'll know how incredibly popular the Overwatch franchise is around the world. The first Overwatch game was released in 2016 and received rave reviews. In fact, Overwatch brought in over seven million players in the first week of its release (as reported by Wired). But Blizzard, the developer of Overwatch, announced in September 2022 that it would be shutting down the first Overwatch game in October of the same year—the month in which Overwatch 2 would be released.
But Overwatch 2 was on the way, so there was nothing to worry about, right? Wrong.
There were a number of things about Overwatch 2 that frustrated players, including the in-game shop, which sold items that many deemed to be way overpriced. On top of this, the OW2 battle pass disappointed many, as players were forced to work hard for rewards that didn't seem to be worth the effort. Blizzard was also criticized for making the battle pass the key incentive of the game when the game itself should have provided the pull.
While Overwatch 2 was by no means a failure, the slew of complaints that arose after its release would certainly suggest that it was one of 2022's more overrated games.
7. Fitbit Smartwatches
Smartwatches have become popular for an array of reasons, one of the most prominent being their health-tracking abilities. So it's no surprise that the Fitbit smartwatch series has carved out a solid place for itself in the tech space.
But are Fitbits worth the price tag? The newest Fitbit models cost well over $100, which is by no means a small purchase, and even older models are by no means perfect, despite their lower price. So, what makes Fitbits disappointing?
Firstly, there's the lifespan. Many customers have reported that their Fitbits simply don't last long enough to justify the price. While some have noted their Fitbits lasting only two or so years, others have reached the end of the line in just a few months. What's more, the Fitbit app has its fair share of flaws. Users have reported regular crashes, syncing issues, and poor customer support.
8. Tesla's Self-Driving Feature
Throughout 2022, Tesla's self-driving feature was a major point of contention. Self-driving may sound like a super convenient option for Tesla owners, but this feature was by no means airtight.
When testing Tesla's self-driving feature, people found that objects in front of the car simply weren't being detected. Most notably, Tesla vehicles failed to detect children on the road when tested by the Dawn Project. What's more, the Dawn Project recorded that the Tesla self-driving feature was unable to read "Road Closed" and "Do Not Enter" signs, which could also be very dangerous in real-life situations.
While Tesla's self-driving option seems revolutionary, it still has a long way to go before it can truly be considered safe for the road.
Overrated Products Are Common in the Tech Industry
The tech space is full of predictions, trends, rumors, and endless promotion, so it's no surprise that products often get over-hyped before the public gets a good look. We're likely to see more overrated tech products hit the market in the future. Hopefully, we won't hit that "buy" button before knowing the truth.