They can't get it right all the time! In this article we look at 5 successful companies that have suffered massive failures in the technology world.

1. 5 Technology Fails
For every one technological
revolution, there are many
technological failures.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

2. 1. The Facebook Phone
www.ouritdept.co.uk

3. 1. The Facebook Phone
The Facebook Phone, officially known as the HTC First was
released just two years ago when HTC teamed up with AT&T to
create a phone that came preloaded with Facebook on the
homepage.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

4. 1. The Facebook Phone
www.ouritdept.co.uk

5. 1. The Facebook Phone
It really didn’t offer much more than the free Facebook app
already did.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

6. 1. The Facebook Phone
It really didn’t offer much more than the free Facebook app
already did.
You couldn’t buy it unless you were an AT&T customer or
willing to become one.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

7. 1. The Facebook Phone
It really didn’t offer much more than the free Facebook app
already did.
You couldn’t buy it unless you were an AT&T customer or
willing to become one.
Embarrassingly, less than a month after its release the
phone went from $99 to $0.99 in an attempt to get rid of
stock. Shortly after it was taken off the market.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

8. 2. Google Glass
www.ouritdept.co.uk

9. 2. Google Glass
A pair of glasses that connected to the internet
and overlaid images and graphics over what the
wearer sees.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

10. 2. Google Glass
A pair of glasses that connected to the internet
and overlaid images and graphics over what the
wearer sees.
It was going to “re-imagine how people
interact with the world.” – It didn’t.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

11. www.ouritdept.co.uk

12. An impressive technological
achievement.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

13. An impressive technological
achievement. Controversy over wearing them in public
places such as cinemas and restaurants,
due to the camera.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

14. An impressive technological
achievement. Controversy over wearing them in public
places such as cinemas and restaurants,
due to the camera.
Low sales and mediocre reviews.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

15. £1,000 pound price tag.
An impressive technological
achievement. Controversy over wearing them in public
places such as cinemas and restaurants,
due to the camera.
Low sales and mediocre reviews.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

16. “Geeky” looking device.
£1,000 pound price tag.
An impressive technological
achievement. Controversy over wearing them in public
places such as cinemas and restaurants,
due to the camera.
Low sales and mediocre reviews.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

17. “Geeky” looking device.
£1,000 pound price tag.
An impressive technological
achievement. Controversy over wearing them in public
places such as cinemas and restaurants,
due to the camera.
Low sales and mediocre reviews.
Only available for a few months in the
UK before Google announced they were
taking it off the market.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

18. Google are reinventing it
for business use.
“Geeky” looking device.
£1,000 pound price tag.
An impressive technological
achievement. Controversy over wearing them in public
places such as cinemas and restaurants,
due to the camera.
Low sales and mediocre reviews.
Only available for a few months in the
UK before Google announced they were
taking it off the market.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

19. 3. Nokia N-Gage
www.ouritdept.co.uk

20. 3. Nokia N-Gage
In 2003 Nokia were the
world’s largest maker of
mobile devices.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

21. 3. Nokia N-Gage
In 2003 Nokia were the
world’s largest maker of
mobile devices.
This was also the same
time that handheld
gaming consoles were at
their peak in popularity.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

22. 3. Nokia N-Gage
In 2003 Nokia were the
world’s largest maker of
mobile devices.
This was also the same
time that handheld
gaming consoles were at
their peak in popularity.
So, Nokia decided to
marry the two and came
up with the N-Gage – a
mobile and games
console hybrid.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

23. 3. Nokia N-Gage
There were major design flaws.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

24. 3. Nokia N-Gage
There were major design flaws.
It was awkward to hold when having a phone
conversation as the speaker was on the edge of
the device.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

25. Image source
www.ouritdept.co.uk

26. 3. Nokia N-Gage
There were major design flaws.
It was awkward to hold when having a phone
conversation as the speaker was on the edge of
the device.
The buttons were not designed well for gaming
as the number pad had to be included.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

27. 3. Nokia N-Gage
There were major design flaws.
It was awkward to hold when having a phone
conversation as the speaker was on the edge of
the device.
The buttons were not designed well for gaming
as the number pad had to be included.
To switch the game cartridge you
inconveniently had to remove the battery.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

28. 3. Nokia N-Gage
There were major design flaws.
It was awkward to hold when having a phone
conversation as the speaker was on the edge of
the device.
The buttons were not designed well for gaming
as the number pad had to be included.
To switch the game cartridge you
inconveniently had to remove the battery.
Only 3 million units were sold over 5 years so in
2010 Nokia took it off the market and closed
down the N-Gage game store.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

29. 4. Oakley Thump Sunglasses
www.ouritdept.co.uk

30. 4. Oakley Thump Sunglasses
Oakley tried their hand
at wearable technology
back in 2005.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

31. 4. Oakley Thump Sunglasses
Oakley tried their hand
at wearable technology
back in 2005.
They came up with the
Oakley Thump, which
were sunglasses with an
MP3 player built in.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

32. 4. Oakley Thump Sunglasses
www.ouritdept.co.uk

33. 4. Oakley Thump Sunglasses
Where did it all go wrong?
www.ouritdept.co.uk

34. 4. Oakley Thump Sunglasses
Reason number 1: Unattractive. Just look at
them!
www.ouritdept.co.uk

35. 4. Oakley Thump Sunglasses
Reason number 1: Unattractive. Just look at
them!
Reason number 2: The ear buds were
uncomfortable due to sharp edges.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

36. 4. Oakley Thump Sunglasses
Reason number 1: Unattractive. Just look at
them!
Reason number 2: The ear buds were
uncomfortable due to sharp edges.
Reason number 3: Operation was very
simplistic. You had to shuffle until you found a
song you liked, you couldn’t make a playlist or
even have a song on repeat.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

37. 4. Oakley Thump Sunglasses
Reason number 1: Unattractive. Just look at
them!
Reason number 2: The ear buds were
uncomfortable due to sharp edges.
Reason number 3: Operation was very
simplistic. You had to shuffle until you found a
song you liked, you couldn’t make a playlist or
even have a song on repeat.
Reason number 4: The price tag! This music
playing ear wear would set you back between
£260 and £360.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

38. 5. Microsoft Kin
www.ouritdept.co.uk

39. 5. Microsoft Kin
The Microsoft Kin was a
mobile phone line
aimed at younger
people that are heavy
social media users.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

40. 5. Microsoft Kin
There were 2 models – Kin ONE (left) and Kin
TWO. Both had a pebble shaped screen that
slides up to reveal the keyboard.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

41. 5. Microsoft Kin
There were 2 models – Kin ONE (left) and Kin
TWO. Both had a pebble shaped screen that
slides up to reveal the keyboard.
Microsoft invested approximately $1 billion
developing the Kin platform.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

42. 5. Microsoft Kin
The Kin phones never took off – the software
was slow and lacked feature such as a maps,
calendar and appointments app.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

43. 5. Microsoft Kin
The Kin phones never took off – the software
was slow and lacked feature such as a maps,
calendar and appointments app.
At a time when touch screen phones were
taking over (2010), the Kin phones seemed to
be behind the times.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

44. 5. Microsoft Kin
The Kin phones never took off – the software
was slow and lacked feature such as a maps,
calendar and appointments app.
At a time when touch screen phones were
taking over (2010), the Kin phones seemed to
be behind the times.
The phones were overshadowed by more
technologically advanced devices and they were
taken off the market just 48 days after release.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

45. To Conclude…
www.ouritdept.co.uk

46. To Conclude…
Not all of these ideas
were bad – just missing
something. Timing and
relevance to target
market perhaps were
off.
www.ouritdept.co.uk

47. To Conclude…
Better luck next time!
www.ouritdept.co.uk

48. To Conclude…
To read the full article
visit the Our IT
Department technology
blog.
www.ouritdept.co.uk