Top 50 Worst Product FAILS of All Time

#50: Mountain Dew Flamin’ Hot

What happens when you merge soda with a spicy snack trend? You get Mountain Dew Flamin’ Hot. Released in 2021, this new pop drink on the shelf generated massive curiosity online but the initial hype didn’t last too long. Drinkers described the flavor as confusing, unbalanced, or unpleasant, saying the heat clashed with expectations of refreshment. While sales were driven by novelty and social media challenges, repeat purchases became rare. Retailers quietly reduced shelf space as the hype faded. The viral marketing couldn’t compensate for poor design in taste. Mountain Dew Flamin’ Hot was ultimately remembered less as a bold innovation and more as a cautionary example of chasing trends without considering consumer experience.

#49: Eons

Social networking is not just an expectation but a necessity in modern times. But back in 2006, when the internet was still a bit green, Eons.com emerged as a social networking site aimed specifically at baby boomers and users over 50. Created by Monster.com founder Jeff Taylor, the platform assumed older audiences wanted a separate digital space. Unfortunately, adoption rates among seniors were still relatively low. This directly translated to a slow start and worse growth. Those who were already online preferred mainstream platforms over niche alternatives. Eons struggled to maintain engagement. Unable to develop a compelling identity of its own, it was quickly overshadowed by Facebook’s expansion, and the site was sold in 2011.

#48: Dreamcast

Considered one of the earliest competitors to Play Station, Sega’s Dreamcast was an ambitious console released in North America in 1999. Sega wanted to introduce a new flavor of collaboration between console gamers. Dreamcast delivered on this by providing online connectivity at a time when its competitors had yet to offer anything similar. Sega’s start seemed promising, and early reviews were strong and positive, but the system struggled commercially. Sega’s prior hardware failures had eroded consumer trust, and anticipation for Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 2 overshadowed the launch. Developers increasingly shifted resources elsewhere, leaving Dreamcast with limited long-term support. As sales declined rapidly, Sega discontinued the console in 2001, and Dreamcast’s failure marked its exit from the hardware market.

#47: Nook

When e-readers became the next big thing, Barnes & Noble introduced the Nook to compete with Amazon’s Kindle in 2009. The Nook functioned adequately, but weak marketing and unclear positioning weren’t doing it any favors. Consumers struggled to view Barnes & Noble as a technology company rather than a traditional bookseller. Amazon’s ecosystem, pricing strategy, and frequent updates quickly eclipsed the Nook. Developers and publishers prioritized Kindle, leaving the Nook with limited innovation and declining sales. Today, the Nook is a living example of how strong branding and ecosystem integration matter as much as hardware when entering competitive technology markets like digital reading.

#46: Qwikster

As streaming began to dominate the market in the early 2000s, Netflix announced Qwikster. This was a separate service intended to handle DVD rentals apart from streaming. The decision confused users. Requiring two websites, two queues, and separate billing led to immediate backlash from customers, who accused Netflix of unnecessary complexity. Subscriber losses followed, and criticism dominated headlines. Within twenty-three days, CEO Reed Hastings reversed the decision and canceled Qwikster entirely. Although Netflix eventually recovered, the episode damaged trust and highlighted the importance of clear communication. Today, Qwikster is a textbook example of how abrupt strategy changes can alienate loyal customers and overshadow otherwise successful business models.

#45: Joost

After achieving phenomenal success with their launch of Skype, founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis introduced the world to Joost in 2006. A peer-to-peer internet television platform backed by major hires and media deals, Joost set expectations high from the start. Unfortunately, it also required bulky software downloads, suffered from buffering, and delivered an awkward user experience. These cons worked against Joost which fell out of favor almost immediately as browser-based streaming improved. Timing alone couldn’t replace Joost’s missteps in thoughtful product design and the ability to sustain audience-centered innovation over long development cycles and market lifetimes. By 2009, Joost shut down entirely, its failure pinned down to its misjudgment of usability, accessibility, and consumer habits during a period of rapidly evolving technology.

#44: cybertruck

In 2019, Tesla decided to bring the future to the automotive industry. Enter the Cybertruck. Amid enormous hype and media attention, Tesla’s automotive innovation was marketed as durable and futuristic. It promised to disrupt the pickup market. However, during the live reveal, a supposedly shatterproof window cracked, instantly becoming a viral embarrassment. Initial preorders for the vehicle surged but skepticism gradually crept in regarding build quality, practicality, and production delays. Truck buyers grew divided by the unconventional design and years after its announcement, repeated delays undermined confidence. The Cybertruck became known more for its reveal than its real-world presence. Anticipation ultimately outpaced delivery and reliability for buyers worldwide in an automotive spectacle that failed to live up to its promises.

#43: Amazon's Fire Phone

The smartphone market became explosively competitive in the early 2000s. Adding fuel to the fire, Amazon introduced its “Fire Phone” in 2014. Amazon expected success, but despite its solid hardware and novel features, such as its dynamic perspective 3D interface, the Fire phone struggled to pick up an audience. The lack of access to Google’s app ecosystem severely limited the Fire phone’s usability. Sales collapsed quickly, forcing Amazon to slash prices and write off hundreds of millions of dollars. The phone was discontinued in 2015. Its failure demonstrated that brand power could never compensate for ecosystem restrictions. The failure of the Fire phone reshaped Amazon’s future hardware ambitions and redirected focus toward services and infrastructure instead of consumer phones.

#42: Bic Underwear

Bic pens and lighters are a familiar sight when it comes to disposable plastic products. All the more reason that people were so thrown off when Bic’s disposable pantyhose signaled its foray into the underwear market in the 1990s. Marketing leaned on the company’s cheeky slogans, but the novelty failed to translate into demand. Shoppers questioned the quality, purpose, and longevity of Bic’s disposable pantyhose. The skepticism directly translated to minimal sales, and the product disappeared off the shelves quickly, but for the wrong reasons. In a classic case of brand extension gone wrong, Bic fell back to its usual market recognizing that they couldn’t force credibility in unrelated markets where they lacked a foundational base for consumer trust and relevance.

#41: Frito-Lay Lemonade

In another case of snacks and beverages coming together, Frito-Lay Lemonade appeared to complement the company’s salty snacks with a refreshing drink. Logical at first glance, but the product failed in execution. Instead of being refreshed, consumers reported that the drink only got them more thirsty. The flavor clash didn’t sit well with the brand’s snack-focused identity and shoppers just couldn’t relate Frito-Lay with beverages. With stumbling demand, limited trust and interest, the Frito-Lay Lemonade vanished quietly into the ether. Retail data later confirmed the ground reality that there were minimal repeat purchases despite the extensive distribution and promotion across markets. This lemonade was not there to stay.

#40: Apple III

Apple was on target with its popular Apple II and they had to follow through. So in 1980, they released Apple III, this time targeting business users. What followed was a disaster. Steve Jobs insisted on a fanless system and that was just the start of the issues. Overheating resulted in loosened chips and crashing machines. The mistakes in design led to reliability issues that plagued early adopters, while limited software support further hurt adoption. Businesses quickly lost confidence, and sales collapsed. Within four years of its appearance, Apple III was discontinued. The failure nearly damaged Apple’s financial stability and reputation, demonstrating that innovation must be balanced with practicality, especially when courting professional customers who demand dependable performance.

#39: Google Wave

Innovation is often touted as a frontline for Google. Naturally, this led to Google developing the Google Wave in 2009 with the goal of reinventing online communication. The Wave combined email, messaging, document editing, and collaboration into one platform. The Wave offered something that was cohesive and a one-for-all package but unfortunately it wasn’t too easy to use. Users found the interface confusing and overwhelming. Rather than simplifying communication, the Wave introduced complexity without clear benefits. Adoption eventually stalled and the Wave never picked off. Google shut down the Wave in 2010. The project became a lesson in overengineering, showing that even powerful ideas can fail if they ignore user experience and real-world usage patterns.

#38: Astro Pants

Lululemon and yoga pants are one, but there was a time when the brand misfired. When the pants you pay for premium price end up becoming see-through upon stretching, something has seriously gone wrong. This was the case of Lululemon’s Astro yoga pants in 2013. The issue sparked widespread criticism leading to the company to recall seventeen percent of its inventory. That was an estimated sixty-seven million dollars in lost revenue. Customers demanded transparency and better manufacturing standards following widespread media coverage and consumer outrage across global markets. Quality control failures damaged consumer trust and led to executive resignations. In time, Lululemon recovered financially, but the incident of transparent stretchy pants became a defining moment for the brand.

#37: Keurig Kold

Keurig and coffee are a match made in heaven, but could Keurig soda? This was put to the test in 2015 when Keurig introduced the Kold soda machine. The idea was customizable soft drinks at home. Instead, customers got a hulk of a machine that not only dug through their pockets but was a noisy resident with little to return. Pods cost several dollars each, the servings were small, and the soda was far pricier than store-bought alternatives. Despite Coca-Cola investing one billion dollars, sales disappointed. Keurig discontinued Kold in 2016. Strong partnerships just couldn’t make grounds for a product that had gone blind in the name of innovation and did not meet customer expectations. Somewhere along the way, Keurig had lost sight of convenience.

#36: TCL Palm

2018 answered the call for a means to avoid getting distracted by your smartphone: the Palm. Sharing a number with the user’s main phone and aimed to reduce digital distraction, the Palm was designed to be everyone’s minimalist companion. Sadly, time away from the screen with the Palm also meant poor battery life, weak performance, and a subpar camera. There just wasn’t much appeal. Consumers questioned why simplification required buying another device in the first place. The Palm failed to resonate and the drop in sales was telling. Minimalism must offer real convenience, not additional complexity. Marketing failed to clarify long-term value for consumers seeking simplicity and reduced screen dependence. As a result, the Palm fell to the backburner in an already saturated smartphone market.

#35: HP Touchpad

The Apple iPad revolutionized the digital tablet industry and Hewlett-Packard (HP) wasn’t going to let that go easily. The TouchPad entered the tablet wars in 2011, backed by an expensive advertising campaign, and skyrocketing expectations. Unlike the iPad though, the TouchPad’s success was transient. The device suffered from sluggish performance, limited apps, and unclear strategic direction. Retailers were left with excess inventory, many units sold at a loss, and the company reportedly lost hundreds of millions of dollars. The lack of a compelling ecosystem and a means to differentiate its product from Apple’s established market led to a financial disaster. WebOS limitations further discouraged developers from investing resources in the long-term on HP’s platform. Simply, the TouchPad went out of touch.

#34: Mobile ESPN

Forget about watching sports on TV, what if you could watch sports on your phone? This was ESPN’s promise when it launched Mobile ESPN in 2006 to deliver sports content through a dedicated phone and subscription service. Users were required to purchase a specific handset costing four hundred dollars and pay forty dollars monthly. Fans balked at the price, especially as similar features were becoming available on standard phones. The service shut down within a year and the company reportedly lost one hundred fifty million dollars. Consumers preferred flexibility over exclusivity, and ESPN had failed to grasp this. Mobile ESPN offered nothing new to customers except for a service that was too costly for its own good.

#33: Lisa

Apple has been in the computer business for a long time and for the most part haven’t encountered too many stumbles. But, dig a little deeper into the past, and you would come across the year of 1983 when Apple released the Lisa computer. Marketed as a high-end business machine featuring a graphical user interface, the Lisa took three years to develop and cost approximately fifty million dollars. Launching with a price tag of nearly ten thousand dollars, Lisa was well beyond most buyers, not to mention the performance issues and limited support. One hundred thousand units sold before discontinuation in 1985. The Lisa became an early lesson in pricing strategy, proving that groundbreaking technology must align with affordability and market readiness to succeed commercially.

#32: LaserDisc

VHS tapes didn’t go down without a fight when the age of discs came around. At one point, VHS even scored a definitive win against the newly debuting LaserDisc. The LaserDisc was 1970’s high-quality alternative to VHS, offering superior picture and sound. However, the format had serious drawbacks. Players and discs were expensive, bulky, and lacked recording capabilities. Consumers preferred VHS convenience over quality, especially the ability to tape television. A niche audience helped the LaserDisc survive temporarily, and despite a brief resurgence in the 1990s, DVDs quickly replaced it. Technically superior, the LaserDisc lost out to VHS when it came to affordability and convenience. With dwindling mainstream awareness and long-term investment, the LaserDisc eventually became a forgotten relic of home media.

#31: Google+

Facebook’s social networking empire had a new competitor in 2011 when Google came around with Google+. Google had demonstrated its intent to compete directly and head on with Facebook, but the battle was lost even before it began. Massive promotion and automatic integration with Google accounts didn’t account for the lack of a clear purpose. The Google+ platform was blind. Users signed up but rarely engaged. By 2015, user interaction had declined by ninety-eight percent. Google+ lingered with limited communities before shutting down. Google’s approach toward social networking used scale and resources. This did not translate to organic engagement and identity. Failing to carve out a meaningful space in the virtual world of social networking, Google’s venture never took off.

#30: Harley-Davidson Cologne

Who do you think of when you think of perfume and colognes? Dior? Calvin Klein? Yes. What about Harley Davidson? No, probably not. Beginning in the mid-1990s, Harley-Davidson expanded into the perfume and cologne industry, introducing a number of fragrances with the help of L’Oreal. These scents included Hot Road, which had notes of wood and tobacco, and Destiny Man, which smelt of cinnamon and cedar wood. They failed to catch on with their audience however, who were just much more interested in the whole motorcycle aspect of the brand. The perfumes and colognes faded quickly and were discontinued within a decade on the market.

#29: Blockbuster Total Access

The Blockbuster vs Netflix war is one for the ages, and towards the end, Blockbuster was just too slow playing catch up against the streaming giant. There was a time in 2006 however, that Blockbuster looked like they might overtake their rival, with the introduction of Total Access. This new scheme copied what Netflix was doing, but with a twist. If online customers returned their rentals to a physical store, they could receive another rental for free. Blockbuster initially saw great success with this, but it cost them around $2 a pop. Eventually, the cost caught up with them - and when that was compounded by legal issues from Netflix, and a reluctance from store franchises to embrace the Total Access project, the initiative ultimately ended up being a big part of why Blockbuster toppled.

#28: Friendster

Ah yes, another social media casualty, thanks largely in part to, yes, you guessed it, the popularity of Facebook. But Friendster actually found success a year before Facebook even launched, hitting the ground running in 2003 and earning itself millions of subscribers in its first year. Its downfall was partially due to the rise of Facebook, but the company also failed to scale up quick enough to meet subscriber spikes, which in turn resulted in slow site performance. Friendster also failed to keep up with trends, and what competitors like MySpace and Facebook were doing - and it saw a gradual decline, before finally closing up shop in 2015. Regardless, Friendster was still one of the very first big, mainstream social media sites.

#27: Philips CD-i Player

Released in 1991 and discontinued just seven years later, the Philips CD-i player was, well, a disaster. The device was a multimedia home entertainment system, able to read and play Compact Disc-Interactive, a digital optical disc data storage format upon which media like video games, interactive museum tours, and internet access could be accessed. And man, was technology expensive back then. The first commercial CD-i was released in 1991 and retailed for $800, which is the modern equivalent of about $1,800. This high price tag was a major detriment to the device, as it was forced to compete with much cheaper multimedia PCs. Furthermore, the tech was considered outdated even at the time of release, and it received bad reviews from major outlets. The CD-i only sold about 400,000 units before it was quietly discontinued in 1998.

#26: Microsoft Kin

Marketing experts will probably tell you a thousand reasons why Microsoft's range of Kin smartphones failed in 2010. In reality though, it’s very, very simple. The Kin ONE and TWO were aimed at the youth market, but they didn’t support apps. I mean, what is that about? If you wanted to check in and update your social media streams on your Kin, you had to go through a browser. This is in the era of the app happy iPhone. Oh, and by the way, it was really expensive to buy as well. Microsoft’s Kin range was discontinued about a year later.

#25: Cosmopolitan Yogurt

If we learn anything from this list, it’s that established companies should probably stay in their own lanes. Enter Cosmopolitan yogurt, a special yogurt made by the popular fashion magazine. Why? We really don’t know. Released in 1999, Cosmopolitan yogurt was not the first thing that people reached for in the dairy aisle. Probably because they, like us, were thinking “Why is Cosmo making yogurt?” The brand was handedly outsold by competitors, and the magazine company left the yogurt market after about a year and a half. And somehow, this isn’t even the only yogurt-themed failure. In 1979, Clairol released Touch of Yogurt shampoo, which some confused buyers even ingested.

#24: Windows Vista

Sorry Microsoft, last one we promise, we just thought we’d roll right on into Windows Vista and get it out the way. Vista launched in 2007 and was a replacement for the well thought-of Windows XP. People were excited, but that didn’t last long. From the moment it launched, people everywhere were pulling out their hair due to incompatibility issues with their current computers - despite promises from Windows that that wouldn’t happen. Users were forced to upgrade due to increased hardware requirements, and the general speed and performance of Vista was, well, not good. Loads of Windows users remained on the XP system and refused to switch, waiting for things to get better. Thankfully they did, when Windows 7 launched in 2009.

#23: Lawn Darts

In hindsight, making a metal-tipped toy that kids throw in the air maybe wasn’t the greatest idea. A variation of horseshoes, lawn darts are tossed or thrown towards the target sitting a number of feet away. While modern lawn darts are quite safe, this wasn’t the case back in the day. Like real darts, they were pointed and incredibly sharp, and thousands of minors were hospitalized after injuring themselves with the toys. The FDA designated lawn darts as a “mechanical hazard” in 1970 and banned them from toy stores. But it wasn’t until 1987, when a California girl tragically lost her life, that they were banned entirely in both the United States and Canada.

#22: Nintendo Wii U

The Wii U is a great, innovative console with an awesome games library, and it’s bookended by the super successful Nintendo Wii and Nintendo Switch. So what gives? Well, Nintendo’s marketing of the Wii U when it was launched in 2012 was just confusing. It carried a similar name to the Wii, but it wasn’t merely an accessory for the Wii, it was a separate console. And the controller was also a screen, so you could play it handheld, but you could also connect it to a TV. It was kind of like an early iteration of the Switch, but it didn’t seem like the gaming world was ready for it. The high price tag didn’t help its cause either.

#21: 3D TV

Samsung, LG, Sony - take your pick. There were tons of major tech brands that dipped their toe into the 3D TV market, and ultimately came out wondering where it all went wrong. The 3D TV hype peaked around 2012, just a few years after James Cameron unleashed Avatar on the world. People were enjoying 3D movies and live sports events from the comfort of their living rooms, thanks to the use of specific displays and glasses. But it didn’t take long for the fad to fizzle. Many got bored of it fast, or just couldn’t be bothered to fiddle with 3D glasses, especially with the rising popularity of ultra clear 4K TVs and curved displays, which enhanced the viewing experience with no extra effort. Maybe they’ll make a comeback?

#20: The DMC-12

This one may come as a surprise, considering it has unending popularity, a rabid fan base, and pop-culture cred courtesy of its use in “Back to the Future”. But Marty McFly saddled up in 1985, by which point the car had been deemed an abject failure. On the market for a scant three model years before DMC was shuttered amid multiple forms of controversy, the DeLorean – as it later came to be known – never performed as well as it looked, disappointing drivers and turning off would-be owners. The first production car was completed in January of '81, but by December of '82 the game was over, with DMC itself following suit soon after.

#19: Apple Maps

When Apple Maps launched in 2012, it was riddled with issues. Apple CEO Tim Cook even issued a public apology for all of the problems that the application had. Some of these problems included misspelled place names, and locations being placed miles from where they actually were. Boldly, the company made Apple Maps the default maps application on iPhones … and boy, did people hate it! Since then, Apple has improved some features. But its reptation hasn’t fully recovered, and in terms of users, Google Maps remains way ahead.

#18: Segway

Unlike many of the other products on this list, the Segway is actually still in production but it has certainly fallen from grace since it was first introduced back in 2001, to the excitement of local dads and mall cops everywhere. The problem was the astronomical hopes of the Segway’s creator – the intention was to have the product completely revolutionize how humans got around in urban areas. But there was just something undeniably dorky about it, and it wasn’t adopted nearly as fervently as its producer had hoped. In an unfortunate turn of events, the product's viability died with company owner Jimi Heselden, who was killed when he fell off a cliff while riding his Segway scooter through the English countryside.

#17: Colgate Kitchen Entrées

In the 1980s, frozen meals were popular and prevalent, so that’s perhaps why Colgate – best known for their line of toothpastes – decided to get into the market, because why not? But there’s something distinctly unappetizing about the name Colgate Kitchen Entrees. No one wants to be slumming it with a half frozen, half overcooked plate of gruel and be reminded of fluoride-enhanced mint flavored grit cream. Anyone who's ever had a glass of OJ after brushing their teeth knows toothpaste and food doesn't mix. Sorry but we’ll pass on this one!

#16: Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water

You’ll start to notice a trend on our list, that many of the entries involve companies leaving their comfort zones in an attempt to branch out into new markets. Coors Rocky Mountain Sparkling Water is a prime example of this. In 1990, when the product was released, Coors was one of the most successful brewing companies in America, and while their beer was popular across many demographics, one they weren’t hitting was the sparkling water crowd. But people didn’t want to drink bubbly water that perhaps tasted like ultra light beer, and the trademark expired a few years after launch.

#15: Virtual Boy

In the mid ’90s, Nintendo was thriving. Their Super Nintendo, released in 1990, was a massive success, but a few short years later they delivered a serious flop. The Virtual Boy was marketed as the first 3D gaming console and there were many issues in development, causing it to be released before it was properly finished. The company had decided to shift its focus onto their next idea, the N64. And they were right to do so: the Virtual Boy was a big disappointment, with poor 3D effects and a big price tag, not to mention concerns of it affecting the health of users.

#14: Microsoft Bob

Back in 1995, the masses weren't exactly computer savvy, so we can understand the thinking behind the launch of the Microsoft Bob. This was an operating system interface that made your desktop look like a house with each application corresponding to a regular household item. The idea wasn’t a terrible one, but it used a ton of processing power, which most home computers didn’t have in excess in 1995. It was discontinued shortly after launch. To make matters even worse, it gave the world “Clippy”, and perhaps worse still, Comic Sans was actually invented for use in Microsoft Bob, even though they didn’t end up using it on the interface.

#13: HD DVD

Remember back in the late aughts when people had to decide whether to commit to HD DVDs or Blu-Ray? There was a race to replace – or at least improve upon – the DVD, and Toshiba threw their hat into the ring with the HD DVD. There wasn’t anything wrong with the HD DVD per se, but it simply lost the war against Blu-ray, and two years after its release it was discontinued. Unfortunately for consumers, many had invested in HD DVD players which were essentially made obsolete... or at least of limited use. Although, some may now say the same about physical media in general, so is there a real winner here?

#12: Arch Deluxe

Over the years, McDonald’s has introduced dozens of new menu items. Some are hits, and some are definite misses. The Arch Deluxe was marketed as a burger with a grown up taste, and the ad campaign focused on getting adults with sophisticated palettes to try it. The company spent over $300 million on development and marketing for the Arch Deluxe, and yet it didn’t meet sales expectations. There was nothing in particular wrong with the burger, which was pretty standard with added additions like peppered bacon, leaf lettuce and a “special” mayo and mustard sauce. But customers just weren’t biting, and the Arch Deluxe went McByeBye soon after.

#11: Zune

Back in the mid-aughts, it was tough to compete with Apple’s hugely successful iPod, but some companies tried anyway, to varying results. Microsoft produced its own MP3 player called the Zune which was released in 2006 and managed to stick around until 2012, though in the later years they were definitely not selling much. The performance of the Zune never quite matched up to that of its competitors and in an embarrassing instance in 2008 most of the 30GB Zunes completely stopped working on New Year’s Eve because they forgot to account for the extra day in the leap year.

#10: EZ Squirt Colored Ketchup

Kids, historically, love ketchup. So it makes sense that Heinz, the world’s best known maker of ketchup, decided to market ketchup directly to children with its EZ Squirt line. The squeezable containers were easy for kids to use, but not only that, the product was made available in a variety of fun – dare we say, rad – colors other than the standard red. Who wouldn’t want to squirt something purple and toxic looking onto their french fries? While the novel idea may have had some kids begging their parents to put it in their grocery carts, by 2006 production was stopped.

#9: Cheetos Lip Balm

Some products on this list were good ideas that just weren’t well executed or didn’t catch on, but this is absolutely not one of them. Sure, we all loved soda flavored Chapstick, but when Frito-Lay introduced Cheetos flavored lip balm it was obviously a step too far. We acknowledge that Cheetos are incredible, but not every snack food belongs in our makeup case. We can’t even imagine what the marketing pitch was for this product and we wouldn’t be surprised if someone was fired for creating this monstrosity.

#8: The Newton

The Apple Newton was the product for which the term “personal digital assistant” was created and at the time of its release in 1993, it seemed like the height of new technology. But the price of the product was very steep, making it a difficult sell for consumers. Another factor in its failure was that the highly anticipated handwriting feature ended up being a disappointment – at least if you didn't want to “Eat up Martha”. The Palm Pilot ended up overtaking it, and when Steve Jobs came back to Apple in 1997, he ordered the Newton line to be discontinued.

#7: Galaxy Note 7

One of the more recent flops we'll be discussing was one of the most explosive launches in tech history. But in all seriousness, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 started literally catching on fire shortly after its release. This phablet was actually pretty well reviewed when it first launched in August of 2016 but those positive critiques didn’t count for much when the phones began smoking and setting aflame. In one much-publicized instance, this even happened on a flight which had to be evacuated, prompting airlines to ban the Note 7. Samsung discontinued the phone in October of 2016 and reportedly lost billions of dollars because of the debacle.

#6: Betamax

Remember VHS? Meet its older brother. Released in 1975, just a year before the VHS tape came out, the Betamax arguably had better technology than its competitor. The resolution and sound was considered to be superior to that of the VHS, but because Sony made a major misstep with its licensing, VHS soared past it to quickly grab a larger market share – providing more consumer options and lower price-points. That’s why ‘90s kids will all remember having their Disney movies on VHS and not on Betamax.

#5: Google Glass

In so many works of science fiction that imagined the future of humanity, we had wearable technology that looked a whole lot like Google Glass. In fact, theoretically, it seemed like an incredible futuristic invention that could completely change the way we viewed the world. But despite its lofty goals, Google Glass was mired with criticism and was prohibitively expensive for many. Chief among the concerns were issues of privacy, because the Glass could easily record people without their consent, as well as safety.

#4: WOW! Chips

Consumers should probably be smart enough to be wary of low-fat potato chips, but when WOW! Chips were released by Lay’s in 1998, no one could have imagined the fallout. You see they were made with a fat alternative called Olestra which caused... let’s just say gastrointestinal distress... that is, visits to the bathroom. How this was not discovered during the development phase we’ll never know. But the end result was that Lay’s was forced to put a warning on all bags reading, "This Product Contains Olestra. Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools.” Now that’s not exactly great marketing material.

#3: Premier Smokeless Cigarettes

Long peeps were vaping or using e-cigarettes, companies were trying to come up with a safer way to smoke. In 1988, for tobacco company R.J. Reynolds, this meant introducing a line of “smokeless” cigarettes. The problem was, smokers didn’t get the same satisfaction from it because of the lack of actual smoke. Not to mention, there was a chemical taste associated with it which didn’t improve things. In the end, the non-smoking smokes were only around for a few months before they were removed from the market, and after R.J. Reynolds invested hundreds of millions of dollars into them.

#2: Edsel

The most memorable product failures are usually the ones which were the most heavily hyped. This is true now, and it was true all the way back in the 1950’s as well. The Ford Motor Company came out with the Edsel after a year long marketing campaign leading up to its release which branded it as the car of the future. With so much anticipation, it was almost destined to fall short of what people had expected. But this was an even more colossal failure than anyone could have imagined. People thought they were too expensive, ugly, and suffered from being overhyped. Put short, the Edsel never picked up traction.

#1: New Coke

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This was a lesson that the Coca Cola Company clearly didn’t internalize when they came up with the idea for New Coke in the ‘80s. We’re not sure why they decided to mess with a good thing, but when they reformulated their popular cola beverage to more closely align with popular tastes at the time, the reaction was overwhelmingly negative. Several years later, Pepsi tried a similar tactic with Crystal Pepsi, which was clear and caffeine free, and was similarly unsuccessful. Curious parties and later comers got a second chance to try “New Coke” in 2019, however, when it was rereleased as a cross-promotion with “Stranger Things”.

What do you think was the biggest product failure of all time? Did we miss a flop that still makes you cringe? Let us know in the comments below, don’t forget to like and subscribe.