Consumer tech is stagnant: 15 examples of products that aren’t evolving much anymore

Most of us have closets or drawers full of technology gathering dust, past its best-by date. These may include old phones, a load of tangled cables, and maybe even a floppy disk or two. Many products are launched with a great splash, but grow stagnant when their hype fails to live up to reality.

Autonomous cars

The hype led us to believe we would be ferried around by self-driving cars, taking a nap or doing some work en route, our hands not on the wheel. This future seems to be driving away without us after cases of crashes and fatalities due to limitations in technology. Perhaps advanced driver-assistance systems—instead of full autonomy—are an alternative.

Smart glasses

In 2014, Google Glass launched with a lot of fanfare. The high-tech smart spectacles had a camera and were supposed to act as an answer to augmented reality devices, with a variety of visuals, sounds, and sensory elements. However, a high price tag and a lack of practicality spelled doom for the item. Smart glasses are still around, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will ever take off.

5G technology

The ascendance of 5G technology (the fifth generation of cellular networking) was predicted by a lot of press. It offered to turbocharge wireless connection speeds of smartwatches, smartphones, and other mobile devices. While the technology may yet become widely used, so far it is underperforming, due to slower-than-predicted speeds, a lack of infrastructure, and other reasons.

Robots

Robots have always been viewed with equal parts fear and anticipation. People imagine a future where robots do more of our tasks, either putting us out of a job or giving us the leisure to do more fulfilling stuff. While robotics have made some in-roads in manufacturing, their adoption lags behind initial predictions. It turns out there are still some things that humans do better than robots.

Flying cars

We have long been tantalized with a Jetsons-type future where we can swoosh from point A to B in flying cars, far above the congestion on Earth. Well, we’re not flying yet. While flying car models are still in development, the technology is held back by the lack of specialized parts required for manufacture, safety concerns, and questions about how governments will regulate these new aircraft.

The metaverse

Hailed as the upcoming 3D version of the internet, the metaverse is described by TechTarget as “the convergence of physical and virtual space accessed through computers and enabled by immersive technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality.” While the metaverse is still out there, adoption has been slow, and it has been held back by issues such as underperforming financial results, high equipment costs, and privacy concerns.

iPhones

The iPhone was definitely revolutionary when it launched in 2007, putting a small computer in people’s pockets. While some new features have been show-stopping, such as front-facing cameras, the changes have been mostly incremental while the price tags have soared. Many people find that their old phones do the job, so they hold off on upgrading.

Smart homes

We’re supposed to be living in smart homes with internet-connected devices that allow remote monitoring and control of appliances and systems, including lighting and front-door cameras. Apparently, this technology isn’t smart enough for us, as sales have been held back by a sluggish economy, devices that don’t work properly, and conflicting protocols.

Artificial intelligence

It’s too early to say that artificial intelligence (AI) has jumped the shark. But according to many experts, AI isn’t living up to its hype, despite its exploding presence. Many are finding that generative AI doesn’t apply to their businesses. While the technology can yield impressive results, it’s really just a collection of algorithms and not yet true artificial intelligence.

Cryptocurrency

About 15 years ago, cryptocurrency landed with a splash, promising “digital cash” using a decentralized structure. Many people invested in the currency, trying to cash in on the bonanza. However, congested blockchain sparked soaring transaction fees, and then the plunging of crypto-asset values took a bite out of Bitcoin and the shine off cryptocurrency.

Personal computers

Many industry pundits have pointed to a lack of innovation and more competition from other kinds of devices as a reason for the flat sales of PCs. Although desktops and laptops remain omnipresent in homes, offices and schools, sales of PCs slumped to record lows in recent years as consumers increasingly turned to smartphones and tablets. Too many manufacturers are also trying to copy the innovations of others instead of innovating themselves.

Luxury watches

Watches have had their share of competitors recently, as people have turned to smartphones to tell the time. The luxury watch market had an upsurge during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now Swiss exports have experienced a sharp decline in the new and used markets. Sluggish economies in North America and China, as well as inflation and recession worries, may be to blame.

MP3 players

MP3 players were once the height of hip, with people grooving to music collections through earphones attached to small, portable players. The iPod led the music revolution but died itself in 2022, a victim to other mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, that could also play music. Personal music collections have also given way to streaming music services.

Fax machines

The fax machine dates back to 1964 and was a staple in most businesses and organizations, used for sending documents over phone lines. However, digital means of communication, such as email, severely decreased its use, especially among consumers (who can use computers to send faxes to traditional machines). Faxes are still used in some business sectors for legal or compliance reasons.

Printers

The demand for printers peaked during the pandemic, with many people working at home. Since then, printer sales have sunk, partly due to the longer lifespan of new products. HP reports that the output of printed pages has dropped by 20% since the pandemic. People may also be increasingly comfortable keeping and sharing their documents and images in the digital realm.