Two days ago I published an article about 8 Apple products that had a huge impact on the world of technology. The iPhone changed the design of mobile phones and made the dream of a portable computer in your hand a reality. The Apple Lisa started the revolution of graphical interfaces on computers.
In the same 50 years, Apple was also no exception to launching products that failed, disappointed or were canceled outright due to various issues. So it is fair that after 8 products were praised, 8 more of our products are disgusting today.
1. Apple Car – Dreams That Didn't Come True
Apple Car is an effort to develop a smart electric car (EV) by integrating all the technologies that made Apple strong. The project started as Project Titan in 2014 with the name chosen giving the impression that the first EV would dominate the market like the giants in Greek myth. The original plan was to market the first EV by 2019.
But the project faced various issues with the design believed to have been changed several times due to changes in scope by Jony Ive. A very important project Jony Ive gave it full attention before leaving the company, among other things due to a dispute over the final design of the vehicle. No one knows what the Titan really looks like because all that has been leaked is rumors.
Some say it looks like a round and aerodynamic Canoo car. It is said to have a Level 4 self-driving system so it will not be equipped with a steering wheel or foot pedals. The joint venture with Hyundai Kia was canceled after the Korean automotive giant refused to be just an OEM.
Project Titan was canceled in 2024 with several billions believed to have been spent. It is a bit of a shame because Xiaomi, labeled "Apple China", released their first EV SU 7 in just 5 years and now offers an SUV. In this situation, Xiaomi is like the god Zeus who won the Titanomachy.
2. Apple AirPower – Disappeared Like Wasp
Apple Car is a product developed but never officially announced and maybe die-hard fans will complain that I am being sarcastic by saying it failed. Okay, next is Apple AirPower which was shown in 2017 but never sold.
Apple AirPower
It is a wireless charger that allows charging no matter where the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods are placed. A brilliant idea in the era of wireless charging requires the device to be placed right in the middle of the charging coil.
The issue of overheating and impaired charger performance when it gets hot is believed to be the Achilles heel of AirPower. It is believed that Apple is trying to solve this issue in 2020 but until now there is no new news so it can be assumed that AirPower will no longer be continued before it has time to breathe.
3. Apple USB Mouse For iMac G3 – Anti-Ergonomic
Apple fans also often claim that Apple's designs are the best and most ergonomic. But in 1998 when the iMac G3 was launched, it came with the most unergonomic mouse ever produced in human history. The round body like an ice hockey puck that was smaller than the human palm made it uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. The transparent plastic body also trapped dirt.
I had to use the iMac G3 and Power Mac G3 while in college in a digital art class. I can still remember the frustration, misery and curses that were thrown around because it was almost impossible to make precise edits in Photoshop software. This mouse should be iconic because it was the first to connect to a Mac with a USB-A port. Before that, all mice used a PS/2 connection.
This mouse has such a bad reputation that I believe it may be the reason why Apple developed the TrackPad that is used in all Macs. It is the reason why no MacBook owner has to use a mouse to ensure that the tyranny of the mouse on the Mac is stopped.
4. Apple III – Hot to the point of being pulled out
Usually when a new product is released, around 10-15% of the initial production will have problems. Rarely is the failure rate 100% like the Galaxy Note7 in 2016. But before the Note 7, the Apple III launched in 1980 was a product that Steve Wozniak himself said had a 100% failure rate.
All of the first 14,000 Apple IIIIs had problems that had to be returned to Apple. The most common issue was overheating until the chip was pulled out of the motherboard. Because of this issue, Apple was forced to replace the computer, causing "incalculable losses" according to Steve Jobs.
After the issue was resolved, it was relaunched as the Apple III Plus, but the company's reputation was damaged. Many employees involved with the Apple III project later left the company.
5.Apple Pippin – The Forgotten Console
Ronald Wayne is the founder of Apple Inc. who is so forgotten that many people don't even know his name and face compared to Jobs and Woz. In the world of video games, the Apple Pippin can be labeled as the console version of Ronald Wayne.
It was developed as a video game platform that was licensed to other manufacturers such as Mac clones. Bandai became the first partner and the Pippin was launched in Japan in 1996 as an edutainment console. There weren't many interesting games so it couldn't compete with contemporary consoles such as the PlayStation, Saturn and N64.
The Pippin was very forgotten, I only knew of its existence around 2000 while I am a console collector. Wanting to buy a Pippin just for collection is difficult. Many of Apple's efforts in the era without Steve Jobs were failures but Pippin may have failed the most because it was unknown to the public.
6.Antennagate – iPhone 4 and the Eternal Meme
The iPhone 4 was launched in 2010 with a new, more boxy design. The device's antenna is placed on the frame and after buyers received it, many complained that the network strength was affected when held, causing phone calls to be disconnected.
Initially, Steve Jobs said that the cellular strength was affected when the phone was held, which was normal. He later said "you are holding it wrong". Users were not blamed for the antenna design, which was easily affected by the orientation of the hand holding the phone. Apple offered a frame to solve Antennagate. Then, after being sued, iPhone 4 buyers in the United States received $15 compensation each for the price of a frame.
7. Bendgate – iPhone 6 Plus Bends
After Antennagate, Apple also faced Bendgate after the iPhone 6 was launched in 2014. The issue became a hot topic when the iPhone 6 Plus, which Ubox Therapy reviewed, bent in the hand when given a little pressure. The increasingly thin body of the device without a harder frame like the iPhone 5, is believed to be the cause of the issue.
Bent iPhone
Apple said that only a small percentage of users reported this issue 12 years ago, but a "small industry" of YouTube videos that do bending tests have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. To this day – 12 years after Bendgate – there are still YouTube channels testing the durability of devices to bend.
The iPhone bending issue is no longer a problem but this issue has since resurfaced on the new iPad Pro. In all cases of bent devices, Apple has offered replacement devices promptly.
iTunes Ping – Music Social Media
So far the failures I have covered in this article have been computers, chargers, phone designs, and consoles. But Apple has also faced failure after breaking into the social media arena with iTunes Ping. This social media for music was launched alongside iTunes 10 in 2010.
The idea on paper was clever because MySpace was becoming popular at the time as a platform for musicians and artists to share their artistic talents. Ping would display the latest song charts from iTunes. Nearby concerts could also be viewed and then shared with Ping’s social media friends.
More interestingly, users could follow the official accounts of their favorite artists before this feature became standard on the social media platform. In the initial stages, the response was encouraging with 1 million users signing up within 48 hours. But in 2012 it was shut down by Apple due to spam issues and was seen as just a platform to sell more music through iTunes.
