Mobility

Photos: Wearable tech's 10 biggest flops

By // June 3, 2014, 4:00 AM PST // lyndseygilpin

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  • Google Glass

    That's right, Google Glass made the failure list. That's because, though it's obviously the most talked-about wearable, it still hasn't been a runaway success. It's touted as obnoxious, and has caused plenty of problems regarding driving laws, copyright, and privacy issues. It still looks funny in public, no matter how many gorgeous models Google uses in its advertisements. Glass still begs the question: "Why would I ever need to wear that?"

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: ZDNet

  • Nike Fuel Band

    The Nike Fuel Band is now discontinued, which makes it a definite addition to this list. Though it had a sleek design, the information gathered by Nike was incompatible with anything but Nike+ products, and it didn't always show accurate data. In April, the company fired the majority of the Fuel Band team and discontinued the fitness tracker. They had announced plans for a slimmer version due out in the fall, but that was cancelled too.

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: CNET

  • Samsung Galaxy Gear 2

    A new version to improve upon the Galaxy Gear still didn't really work. Sure, it was an improvement upon the first generation, but the Gear 2, even with its redesign, is difficult to charge and still lacks engaging apps. It's still simply an accessory to the phone, not a smartwatch that can exist on its own. And now Samsung is reportedly going to build a stand alone smartwatch that doesn't need to pair with a smartphone.

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: CNET

  • Samsung Galaxy Gear

    The Samsung Galaxy Gear created its share of wearable buzz, but it didn't live up to the expectations. It had poor battery life, was only compatible with the Galaxy Note 3 (though it was updated to support a few more devices, it still has limited compatibility) could only get texts, and no email notifications. Reviewers said there was a definite lag in notification time and it couldn't actually do much for itself -- it just connected with the phone.

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: CNET

  • Jawbone Up

    Jawbone's first fitness band, the Up, was fully refunded in late 2011 due to issues with charging and syncing, which is why it made the list. The company refunded people without a receipt or original packaging, and they could even keep the defunct wristbands. Since then, the company's later generations of the fitness tracker have been quite popular.

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: CNET

  • Huawei TalkBand B1

    The Chinese company joined the wearable movement earlier this year with the TalkBand B1. They call it a "hybrid smartband," though it looks quite a bit like the Fitbit Flex. Some reviewers said it was hard to snap on the wrist, and by the looks of it, that's probably because of the cheap plastic materials. The band is pretty basic -- it tracks your sleep, steps, and calories, and it also serves as a decent bluetooth headset.

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: Sarah Tew/CNET

  • Qualcomm Toq Watch

    This watch is bigger and more simplistic than most other smartwatches. It has a reflective color display and backlight. But at $350, it is entirely too expensive compared to similar watches like Pebble. It is currently only compatible with Android devices and is meant to serve as more of a prototype for future watches using Qualcomm chips, since the manufacturer didn't plan to sell very many of them. We don't see a whole lot of manufacturers getting inspired by this one.

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: Scott Stein/CNET

  • Meta Spaceglasses

    These $3,000 glasses are very new, and orders won't be shipped until 2015. The glasses were supposed to be a better alternative to Google Glass, made to look like aviators that you'd want to wear everywhere. They're quite a bit bulkier than the website makes them seem, with two LCD screens that have 40 degree views, 3D surround sound, and a connected pocket computer to power it all. With all the innovation in the wearable space, by the time Meta comes to market, there will likely be slimmer, more powerful options.

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: Dan Farber/CNET

  • Sony SmartWatch

    It's sleek, but the Sony SmartWatch is only compatible with Android smartphones, so if you don't have one, you're out of luck. It needs a daily charge and it is hard to see the screen outdoors. It only has one button for power and the touch screen, which is sometimes difficult to use, and all the apps have to be downloaded separately. As with several other smartwatches, everything has to be powered by the phone connected to it, which makes a smartwatch feel not-so-smart.

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: CNET

  • Fitbit Force

    Fitbit, marketed as the affordable, sleek fitness tracker that set the standard in the industry, went through a massive recall earlier this year. They stopped producing the Fitbit Force, which gave about 1.7% of wearers an itchy skin rash, according to the company. More than 10,000 people reported skin irritation with the wearable. A class-action lawsuit was even filed against Fitbit. It was the most recent product from Fitbit, released at the end of 2013. Nevertheless, through all this, Fitbit products still remain quite popular.

    See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

    Image: Sarah Tew/CNET

Google Glass

That's right, Google Glass made the failure list. That's because, though it's obviously the most talked-about wearable, it still hasn't been a runaway success. It's touted as obnoxious, and has caused plenty of problems regarding driving laws, copyright, and privacy issues. It still looks funny in public, no matter how many gorgeous models Google uses in its advertisements. Glass still begs the question: "Why would I ever need to wear that?"

See the ZDNet/TechRepublic Special Feature: Wearables: Fit for Business?

Image: ZDNet

Related Topics:

Mobility Security Hardware Software Apple Android Google

About Lyndsey Gilpin

Lyndsey Gilpin is a former Staff Writer for TechRepublic, covering sustainability and entrepreneurship. She's co-author of the book Follow the Geeks.