Smartphones are ubiquitous these days, everyone and their cousin have one. However, in the early years of the tech’s introduction to the masses, there were many who took a swing at Apple’s newly released iPhone. Today, we’re looking at a few of the bigger duds to hit the market, as well as why they failed to leave a lasting impression.
Nokia N-Gage
Handheld gaming was a big deal in the early to mid-2000s. Both Sony and Nintendo were vying for top supremacy. While the N-Gage isn’t a smartphone in the strictest sense, it was one of the first efforts by a big-name manufacturer to marry multimedia functionality with a handset.
The N-Gage was plagued with quite a few issues, however. Middling battery life, poor software support, lackluster user interface, and a few other bugbears were among the chief complaints when critics and customers alike took possession of their N-Gages. However, like many of the failed smartphones on this list, this wasn’t a single attempt.
Nokia released a revised model called the N-Gage QD in 2004, but by then the writing was already on the wall. Mobile games are a huge market now, but you could chalk this up to just being simply too early to market.
Blackberry Storm
Once upon a time, Blackberry was on top of the world. For a time, they were the de facto masters of the early smartphone market. This was a far cry from the smartphones of today, but you couldn’t argue against having online access to email no matter where you were as a business person.
That all changed in 2007 with the launch of the iPhone. RIM, Blackberry’s manufacturer, didn’t read the room as it was regarding the iPhone. It took a year before the company would launch its own attempt at the iPhone, the Storm.
This was a failed smartphone right out of the gate. Critics weren’t fond of its tactile screen, which was an attempt to simulate Blackberry’s famous physical keyboard. Blackberry never truly recovered from this misstep. They would have another swing at it, as you’ll see in a moment, but they are little more than a historical footnote in the history of mobile technology now.
Palm Treo 700w
I remember being amazed at my grandfather’s Palm Pilot personal digital assistant when I was about 10 or so. There wasn’t much on the market those days that could give you the power of a computer that could fit in a pocket. So, naturally, Palm seemed like it would fit the smartphone market like a glove when it came time.
The Treo smartphone line was introduced as a means to combat the rising tide presented by Apple. Partnering with long-time rival Microsoft, it seemed like the Treo had what it took to destroy the market in its favor. The 700W launched in 2006 and was met with yawns. Windows Mobile was finicky at the best of times.
However, what makes this a failed smartphone wasn’t the lack of innovation, but rather a lack of support. Palm stuck it out with Windows Mobile for another year, releasing the 700wx. By 2007, Microsoft had essentially pulled the plug. Palm was absorbed by HP, and that’s all she wrote.
Blackberry Z10
Our final failed smartphone is another story of missed potential. Blackberry continued on with its conventional devices for a few years after the failure of the Storm. However, the market was shifting wholly in favor of iPhone and Android devices. Blackberry took a swing with one last real attempt, the Z10.
Launching in 2013, it wasn’t nearly as bug-ridden or awful to use as the Storm. However, you need support to maintain a product like a smartphone. There wasn’t a mass exodus of developers from Android and iPhone apps to Blackberry’s side.
By 2014, they had introduced the Q10, a revision of the Z10 which included a physical keyboard. Blackberry OS had some unique features, particularly things like gesture-based navigation and predictive text integrated into the touch keyboard. It wasn’t meant to be, however, as Blackberry hung up their hat and went to making Android phones.
Wrapping It Up
The important thing to remember with failed smartphones is that this is just a microcosm of the larger market. You can pinpoint moments that are somewhat iconic in tech history, but there are plenty of also-rans that litter the cutting room floor so to speak. These weren’t phones lacking innovation, but rather devices that lacked the support needed to survive against the stellar user experience of Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©"Smart Phones" by opusbei is licensed under BY 2.0..