This year, our globe witnessed a slew of astounding technical breakthroughs. Consider Elon Musk’s Mars Mission, autonomous vehicles, or LG’s 18-inch, paper-thin OLED display that can be rolled up like a newspaper. But the technological world also experienced its share of ups and downs.
We have witnessed some of the worst technological failures that will undoubtedly be recorded in history. Then, there was a big expectation bubble surrounding several products and projects, which was also severely broken.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7:
Unquestionably, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is the biggest technological flop of 2016. With its newest product, the South Korean company sparked frenzy around the world.
The smartphone, which was introduced in August 2016, was hailed as “revolutionising lives.” Sadly, the phone’s explosion phase began earlier than anticipated. An explosion occurred during charging since neither replacements nor the original heat source could be controlled.
Due to the rising number of complaints, the business was forced to recall the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and cancel all orders, which cost them $6,457 billion.
The corporation hasn’t given up yet, though. Samsung plans to release the S8 in 2017, and unlike its predecessor, we hope the product will be a success.
The business hasn’t given up, though. We anticipate Samsung’s S8 to be successful, unlike its predecessor, when it is released in 2017.
Karma drone by GoPro:
Within two weeks of its initial introduction, the GoPro Karma Drone was recalled, sharing the same fate as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
Since October 23rd, almost 2,500 Karma units have been sold by the company. Unfortunately, soon enough these devices began to experience power loss while in use. “We are very sorry to have inconvenienced our consumers,” CEO Nick Woodman said in a statement. “We are taking every measure to make the return and refund procedure as easy as possible.”
The front-heavy design “caused to an abrupt power breakdown in Karma Drones,” the Verge story states.
On its upcoming model, the company has not yet said. Karma Drone was GoPro’s first foray into the drone market; hopefully, the firm will learn from its mistakes and return in 2017.
iPhone 7 from Apple:
The unveiling of the iPhone 7 was undoubtedly significant, but the device’s “poor” battery life, predictable design, and absence of a headphone port disappointed. The inclusion of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus on this list may be due to this.
The new smartphone didn’t see as much demand as the iPhone 6 did, according to data from analytics company Localytics. In the first two weeks, the iPhone 7 held 2.7 percent of the overall iPhone market share, compared to the iPhone 7 Plus’s 0.9 percent share.
Like Samsung, Apple is getting ready for its iPhone 8. To learn more, continue reading.
Jack from an Apple MacBook Pro:
Apple released Lightning earpods for the iPhone 7 at the same time as the iPhone 7 and they cost $159 each. After four years, the Cupertino business decided to revamp its MacBook range, and truth be told, they made some significant modifications. Customers are sufficiently enticed to purchase the Macbook Pro by the alluring Touch Bar.
But the business opted to retain the 3.5mm headphone jack. This implies that all headphones, excluding Apple’s Lightning earpods, can be plugged in.
Customers are displeased with the shift, but the company is also in a difficult position because it must now support two audio input standards, one of which is dependent on its own proprietary technology.
Burst of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket:
Mark Zuckerberg is capable of managing Facebook with cutting-edge features and advancements while still being willing to tolerate setbacks. The club, however, was not prepared for such a loss this time; to be more precise, the loss cost anywhere between $95 million to $200 million.
When a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s first broadband satellite broke up during launch preparations, Facebook’s efforts to expand internet access in Africa experienced a serious setback. The satellite was a component of Facebook’s global internet access project, Internet.org.
On his Facebook profile, the CEO of Facebook vented his frustration. The failure of SpaceX’s launch, he added, “destroyed our satellite that would have offered connection to so many businesses and everyone else across the continent. I’m profoundly unhappy at this news.”
Android Pixel:Several people were surprised by the company’s decision to discontinue the Nexus line; nonetheless, the Pixel was eagerly anticipated. the eagerness for a fantastic smartphone at a fair price. One drawback is that the entry-level model of the smartphone, which costs 67,000, is wonderful. Price-wise, Pixel phones are comparable to high-end Samsung Galaxy phones or iPhones.
By aiming for margins that are comparable to Apple’s iPhone company, Google is allegedly also targeting investors with the Pixel phone. The Pixel XL smartphone has a total manufacturing cost of $285.75, with $278 in direct material prices and $7.75 in conversion charges. The Pixel XL phone costs $769, which equates to a $483.23 profit margin for Google on each unit.
We had high hopes for Google Pixel because we thought it would be a new Nexus, thus we are utterly let down by this incredibly expensive high-end model.
