14 Concepts That Failed Miserably or Were Simply Never Mass-Produced

Launched in 2013, Google Glass aimed to give augmented reality a face (literally). However, it quickly fell out of tech circles. First, privacy fears, and second, its jaw-dropping $1,500 price tag. The final sound of the gavel was that the “Glasshole” label left it socially radioactive. The idea was bold, but the execution was socially doomed.

Back in 1993, Apple rolled out the Newton, one of the first personal digital assistants (PDAs). However, the device was too bulky and too expensive, and its handwriting recognition fell short of expectations. The silver lining is that its tech DNA didn’t vanish because it quietly laid the groundwork for the iPhones we use today.  

Slick gull-wing doors, stainless steel body—the ride looked like the future. Unfortunately, the DeLorean DMC-12 was all flash, no punch. A weak engine and build issues significantly impacted its sales, resulting in production being capped at around 9,000 units. Back to the Future gave it immortality, but the showroom never loved it.

Sony brought Betamax to living rooms in 1975. The device had better video than VHS, but the bummer was its shorter recording time. That tradeoff cost it the market, leaving VHS running the game. Betamax became a textbook example of how better tech doesn’t always win the format war.

LaserDisc dazzled cinephiles with crisp visuals and rich sound before DVDs. And yet again, it was better than VHS, but the 12-inch discs they came with were pricey and clunky. VHS won because it kept things smaller and cheaper, which is why it lasted longer. Despite the LaserDisc’s strengths, VHS won. Again. VHS=2

The Segway PT rolled onto the scene in 2001 with serious hype, purported to reshape city travel. The downside? The self-balancing, electric personal transporter came with a hefty price and tricky storage. Then, it was banned in many places. It carved out a role in tours and malls but never lived up to the buzz.

Toshiba’s HD DVD hit shelves just as Blu-ray did. At first, the format battle was fierce. But when major studios sided with Blu-ray, HD DVD lost its fighting edge. By 2008, the HD DVD dream had come to an end. This was a case of a fast rise, faster fall—another reminder that support triumphs specs.

Sony launched the MiniDisc in the early ’90s, hoping to modernize music storage. It was compact, rewritable, and great on paper. But in the U.S., CDs and MP3s outshone it. While Japan kept it alive longer, most Americans skipped it entirely because it just couldn’t spin up the momentum.

What do you get when you combine email, chat, and editing into one tool? You get Google Wave, which was launched in 2009. When people first heard about it, it sounded great, but users got lost in its maze of features. And after just 15 months, Google had to pull the plug.

Luxury in the fast lane, the Concorde slashed flight time from New York to London down to 3.5 hours. Still, only 20 ever flew. Why, you ask? The 2003 grounding followed sky-high costs, deafening noise, and safety concerns. It thrilled the elite but burned cash faster than fuel.

In 1985, Sinclair offered a one-seat electric vehicle with a speed limit of 15 mph. Two of its downsides were that it lacked weather protection and had poor battery life. While its EV ambitions were ahead of their time, the design wasn’t road-ready. Commercial failure followed quickly, and yet it hinted at the EV future.

A flavor shift sparked fury in 1985 when Coca-Cola changed its iconic recipe. People did not like the taste, and consumers were enraged. How? They protested, boycotted, and provided blunt feedback, such that in just 79 days, the old formula was reinstated. To date, New Coke is one of marketing’s most unforgettable backfires.  

Competition is great, but the results are not always great for the competitor. Take, for instance, when Microsoft attempted to compete with the iPod in 2006 with the Zune. The Zune’s clunky software and vague branding left users unimpressed, and its sharing features fell short. Despite steady updates, the Zune store shuttered in 2012.