10 Successful Technologies That Flamed Out Faster Than You Can Say ‘BlackBerry’
Carly Tennes
Published
01/27/2025
in
wow
Changing the tech game is easy. Leading the pack is hard. Just ask the overlords of Microsoft, Apple, MySpace and more, who learned the hard way that they're only as relevant as their latest product.
From HitClips to the Gameboy, here are 10 successful technologies that flamed out faster than you can say "BlackBerry."
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1. The Car Phone
Courtesy of Ben FranskeA staple in the ’70s and ‘80s, the rise of cell phones left this invention obsolete. -
2. Redbox
Courtesy of Mr. SatterlyPeaking in the early 2010s, RedBox noticed a steep decline in sales by 2015, thanks in part to streaming services. -
3. The Gameboy
Image in Public DomainDespite selling 118.69 million units throughout the ‘90s, the Gameboy — and the Gameboy Color — were both discontinued in 2003. -
4. HitClips
Courtesy of Jason Curtis / Museum of Obsolete MediaDespite selling more than 20 million units by 2022, this teen-pop-oriented music-playing device was discontinued by 2004. -
5. The BlackBerry
Courtesy of Cheon Fong Liew“Blackberries were 43% of all smartphones sold in 2010, but by 2013 collapsed to 5.9%.” -
6. Napster
Courtesy of Njahnke“Napster was relatively unknown until Madonna, Metallica and Dr.Dre took their lawsuits in 2000. by Feb 2001, Napster membership peaked at 26 million.” -
7. The Segway
Courtesy of Spinnick597Receiving a ton of media hype before its release, the Segway became a pop culture phenomenon ... but only sold 140,000 units before being discontinued in 2020. -
8. iPod Touch
Courtesy of ZsinytwikiReleased in 2007, the iPod Touch had sold toughly 100 million units by May 2013. It would be discontinued less than a decade later. -
9. Internet Explorer
Courtesy of Microsoft”Internet Explorer was the default browser on Macs from 1998-2003.” -
10. MySpace
Image in Public Domain“In 2005 Mark Zuckerberg offered to sell Facebook to Myspace. Myspace CEO Chris DeWolfe rejected Zuckerberg's asking price of 75 million dollars.”
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The Car Phone
A staple in the ’70s and ‘80s, the rise of cell phones left this invention obsolete.
A staple in the ’70s and ‘80s, the rise of cell phones left this invention obsolete.
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