Hardware

Photos: The 10 most overhyped tech products of 2015

By · December 29, 2015, 5:00 AM PST · connerforrest

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  • 1. Apple Watch

    Because of its constant stream of new products, the tech industry is naturally plagued by excessive hype. Here are 10 products that couldn't live up to their own advertising.

    The Apple Watch is, possibly, the best smartwatch on the market today. But there was no way it could have lived up to the mountain of hype that led up to its launch. Like most smartwatches, it is limited in what it can do, and a price tag starting at $349 makes it difficult for many to take the plunge.

    Image: Sarah Tew/CNET

  • 2. Amazon Echo

    The Echo is Amazon's hardware companion to their Alexa Voice Service. Essentially, it provides the same services of Siri or Google Now, but in a standalone unit...and that's about it.

    Image: Sarah Tew/CNET

  • 3. BlackBerry Priv

    Billed as BlackBerry's Lazarus tale, the Priv is an Android-powered smartphone with a physical keyboard. However, it lacks many standard features and didn't wow potential users.

    Image: Nate Ralph/CNET

  • 4. Sphero BB-8

    One of the hottest tech toys of 2015 was Sphero's app-controlled BB-8 droid from Star Wars. Its basic selling feature is that it can move where you tell it to go, making it a decent collectible, but a boring piece of tech. If you still want one, the Sphero Spark is cheaper and it has a few more features.

    Image: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • 5. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

    The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge added the nearly-useless feature of a curved screen to Samsung's flagship smartphone. Additionally, the non-standard form factor comes with a higher price tag and not much more under the hood.

    Image: Josh Miller/CNET

  • 6. Self-balancing scooters

    Also known as "hoverboards" in pop culture, self-balancing scooters are basically Segways without handlebars, and they are just about as useful. Also, a bunch of them have been exploding and catching fire.

    Image: James Martin/CNET

  • 7. Sling TV

    Launched in February, Sling TV was, in theory, a cord-cutter's dream in that it provided a little TV service for a low price. However, customer reviews cited poor quality and service from the get-go, staining its reputation.

    Image: Sarah Tew/CNET

  • 8. Apple Pencil

    Launched in tandem with the iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil lets user draw or take notes on an iPad. But, it isn't backwards compatible with many older iPad models and, at the end of the day, it is just a $100 stylus.

    Image: Bill Detwiler/TechRepublic

  • 9. Windows 10

    A new OS release always comes with hype, especially from a heavy hitter like Apple or Microsoft. The newest Windows release garnered excitement as a free upgrade, but quickly drew concerns over privacy issues.

    Image: Nick Statt/CNET

  • 10. Chip and pin credit cards

    Chip and pin credit cards have been around for a while in many parts of the world, but were meant to make a splash in the US after a deadline was imposed to switch to the technology in 2015. Many retailers never made the switch and those that did often never downloaded the software, so most US consumers have still had to swipe like they've been doing for years.

    Image: Josh Miller/CNET

1. Apple Watch

Because of its constant stream of new products, the tech industry is naturally plagued by excessive hype. Here are 10 products that couldn't live up to their own advertising.

The Apple Watch is, possibly, the best smartwatch on the market today. But there was no way it could have lived up to the mountain of hype that led up to its launch. Like most smartwatches, it is limited in what it can do, and a price tag starting at $349 makes it difficult for many to take the plunge.

Image: Sarah Tew/CNET

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By Conner Forrest

Conner Forrest is an analyst for 451 Research. He was formerly a Senior Editor for TechRepublic.

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