From Windows Recall to the Apple Vision Pro, these are the top 11 tech failures of 2024.

On “Top 10 tech flops” What were the most disappointing and unimpressive goods in the IT industry this year? The technological equivalents of, example, Gladiator 2 or Kraven the Hunter in the realm of movie in 2024.

That’s a topic we initially asked ourselves as a group, gathering expert viewpoints from across the various areas of technology covered here at AG4Tech and engaging in a – should we say spirited’ – debate until we generated a comprehensive list of the biggest tech flops in 2024.

We also wanted to offer you a say here, so after selecting the top flops, we held a vote via our WhatsApp Channel to determine who AG4Tech users believed were the most terrible offenders from our list of eleven entries.

So, while we selected these tech disasters from various months in 2024, the ranking is determined on your votes. Which is the worst item of technology released this year? We won’t reveal the surprise, so let’s count down in reverse order, from 11 to the one that the majority of you believed was the biggest fail of the year.

11. GoPro Hero 2024

Okay, we understand. The GoPro Hero 2024, which was released in September, was designed to be a compact, inexpensive, and simple-to-use device geared at beginners – those looking for a low-cost way to enter the world of action cameras. So, while we can expect sacrifices due to the nature of such hardware, GoPro made far too many of them here.

The GoPro Hero falls short in terms of image quality, which is clearly deficient – especially in low-light circumstances – and only has three recording modes. 4K recording is limited to 30 fps, and there’s no option to attach an external mic, so you’ve got to use the built-in microphone, and the quality drops greatly when it’s windy day.

There are a number of other issues with the gadget, and our reviewer noted that they “butted up against limitations and disappointments all too frequently during review shoots.” The GoPro Hero was not the worst product to emerge in 2024, but it failed because it cut too many corners.

10. Evie Ring

The Evie Ring, which began arriving in early 2024, was undeniably impressive as a stylish ring with a distinctive woman-first design. That features a ‘open-ring’ design, which means the ring has a slight gap to allow for fluctuations in women’s finger sizes during the day, as well as period tracking and symptom journaling.

Evie also has a slew of standard features (sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and more) in a cheap ring with no additional subscription fees.

Where the Evie Ring fell short was in execution: menstruation monitoring is minimal, as are activity tracking capabilities, sleep functionality does not appear to be as accurate as competitors, and data analysis features are limited overall.

In short, all of the features are simplistic, and any unpacking and presentation of obtained data appears flimsy. Rival smart rings are much advanced in many ways, and as we wrote in our Evie Ring review, this one flopped because it had the “misfortune to have been released in a year during which smart ring technology has leapt ahead.”

9. Windows Recall

Microsoft debuted the Recall function for Windows 11 in May 2024, causing an immediate and intense outcry of criticism that we haven’t seen in a long time (perhaps ever).

To summarize, Recall was touted as a means for AI to speed up searching on Windows 11, however only on Copilot+ PCs (since it requires a powerful NPU to function properly). Microsoft marketed it as a natural language-based search that could discover anything on your system; nevertheless, it required regular screenshots of all action on your PC to do so.

That basic screen-grabbing function sparked an outpouring of security and privacy concerns, prompting Microsoft to remove Recall and restart development. Later in the year, as it was set to go into testing (in October), Microsoft lost its nerve and postponed Recall (again).

Finally, Recall entered testing late in November, where it instantly suffered from several strange, irritating issues, and its ‘sensitive information filter’ went off the tracks early on. To be fair to Microsoft, it’s still very much in the early stages of testing – but the chaotic, somewhat haphazard method the feature has been handled thus far provides little in the way of confidence, especially in a piece of functionality as controversial as Recall.

For us, this was the biggest software-related faux pas of 2024 (but not for you readers, as you’ll soon see).

8. New Sonos app

In May 2024, Sonos released an all-new app for its speakers, and everyone was excited to see how much it would improve on the previous software. Unfortunately, things did not proceed as planned.

The first reaction was a slew of complaints about missing features as well as glitches (which is to be expected with any significant software redesign). Many Sonos speaker customers relied on this capability, which included sleep timers and alarms, the option to change their song queue, and other fundamental capabilities. A significant omission was the incompatibility with screen-reading technology for the blind.

To its credit, Sonos listened to user concerns and pledged to get the missing elements back. Fortunately, by October, much of the functionality had been restored. But it’s perplexing how, when streamlining the software, the developers didn’t consider how much they were cutting down, resulting in an early incarnation that felt like a beta release, which is certainly far from ideal.

Sonos has committed to take lessons from all of this, so maybe there will be no further missteps in the same vein.

7. Concord

Concord is a massive AAA game property from Sony that can be described in a variety of ways. Overwatch, for example, is not free and must be purchased. Okay, Sony said that the idea was “you own Concord, Concord doesn’t own you” – which means no ongoing Battle Pass milking with this live-service hero shooter – but the true issue was that when the game arrived in August, no one wanted to buy it.

The player count remained disconcertingly low, and PS5 (and PC) sales were exceedingly low, resulting in Concord’s servers being shut down barely two weeks after debut. The situation became more worse when Firewalk Studios, the developer, was subsequently closed at the end of October.

Given the rumored hundreds of millions of dollars spent on Concord, not to mention the eight years it took to build, it is one of the largest gaming failures of all time. There can be no debate about that.

What went terribly wrong? That’s a difficult one to unpick, but the primary accusations aimed at Concord were that it was too bland, generic, and derivative, and there was criticism directed at design decisions made with the characters, who were not compelling enough heroes for some.

To be fair to Concord, the reviews weren’t all horrible, but there’s no getting around the poor reception to the title from gamers themselves – and PS5 owners voting to keep their wallets firmly closed when it came to this ill-fated 5v5 shooter.

6. Windows 11 24H2

Windows 11 version 24H2, the big update for 2024, began going out to PCs in early October. Unfortunately, the bugs came scurrying after, resulting in an annoyingly constant stream of vermin.

There were larger bugs. Smaller insects. And a number that substantially hampered PC gamers’ experience, as well as some bizarre anomalies. In fact, a common trend among these faults, in addition to their sad ubiquity, was the occurrence of some truly bizarre errors, such as menus flying off the top of the screen and Alt-Tabbing between programs moving at a glacial pace.

The saving grace was that there were no major showstoppers, such as destroying files or bricking computers. The unusual nature of several of these faults led us to believe that Germanium, the new underlying platform introduced with the 24H2 upgrade, is to blame for all of this oddity. In sum, it’s a lot of labor under the hood, which may have resulted in a slew of adverse effects, including all of this bizarreness.

Further disappointment arose as a result of the 24H2 update’s lack of excitement in terms of features, despite the fact that it did include some helpful new functions. Nonetheless, even if the introductions made did not involve any fundamental twists to the Windows concept, and the effort here was essentially unnoticeable, the good news is that Germanium does bolster the security and overall responsiveness of Windows 11.

Overall, Windows 11 24H2 is likely to be a favorable development. However, given what transpired this year, we must label it a flop. Something our readers agree on, given how far 24H2 has risen in the rankings here, surpassing Recall, which surprised us.

5. AirPods Max 2024

Apple’s top-of-the-line AirPods were released in 2020, and the wireless headphones were really impressive. In our AirPods Max review, we commended the original AirPods Max for providing “unbelievable audio performance” as well as superb noise cancellation.

This all meant that the AirPods Max 2 were eagerly awaited. In September 2024, Apple introduced the second-generation headphones, which featured a USB-C port instead of Lightning and new colors (Midnight, Orange, Starlight, Blue, and Purple). That was it: a new connector and some fresh colors.

Apple had the audacity to introduce the AirPods Max refresh’ as a new product, boasting that the headphones will remain at the same price. Yes, you can get a set of four-year-old headphones for $549 (in the United States). We termed the AirPods Max extremely pricey’ when they first launched in 2020, let alone this year, when alternative products are making Apple look pretty dumb, to be honest.

Given the high expectations associated with an AirPods Max renewal, as well as the lengthy wait for a new version of the headphones, what we received in 2024 could only be regarded as a crushing disappointment. Apple appears to have mostly abandoned its high-end headphones for the foreseeable future.

4. Rabbit R1

Ahh, the Rabbit R1, a ‘AI companion’ device that debuted at CES 2024 in January, blinking in the sunlight (wrinkling its simulated nose and whiskers) before being released in May. In our Rabbit R1 review, we described it as “an adorable but half-baked idea that you can ignore.” Moving on to tech flop number three…

We can’t simply ignore this technology, of course. Not with those bright orange retro looks, that is for certain. The Rabbit R1 was marketed as an all-in-one devoted AI companion, but it is actually a classic solution in need of a problem.

You can ask the Rabbit any standard AI question, and it will respond via the device’s cloud-based Large Action Model (LAM). Although you may have to wait a while for a response when the R1 connects and relays your question, which we discovered occurred far too frequently during our evaluation. The biggest issue is that you can already accomplish all of this on your smartphone, so why would you want to carry (or purchase) another device?

You wouldn’t, and the manufacturer’s claims that the Rabbit R1 experience can’t be duplicated in a smartphone app seem like a bunch of PR nonsense.

Much of the functionality is clumsy, especially the scroll wheel, which is an essential aspect of the device’s interface; consequently, the Rabbit R1 was one of the most perplexing releases of 2024. But it’s AI, so hop on board or miss out on the revolution…

3. Spotify Wrapped 2024

Spotify Wrapped is usually a delightful glimpse at what you listened to the most in the previous year – but in 2024, the enjoyment ended and the indignation began. This year’s Wrapped was characterized by an eruption of negative emotions.

There were several key causes behind this, one of which being Spotify’s overuse of AI features (a predictable outcome). Second, Spotify gave fewer stats about your top tunes and omitted data on the top genres and albums you’ve been playing nonstop (a blatant plug in our case: Ocean Grove’s Oddworld).

Furthermore, the popular Sound Town element was removed, and it seemed like there was a lack of effort overall with Spotify Wrapped this year. To top it all off, we received numerous complaints about songs or artists that people had never played or listened to much but were suddenly included in their top ranks. Perhaps it has to do with AI seeping in everywhere? Maybe — okay, let’s blame AI; it’s a safe bet.

However, do not expect AI to disappear; rather, the opposite will most likely occur. Perhaps by 2025, the feature will be renamed ‘Spotify Rapped’, with an AI rapper spitting bars to give you the dirt on your year’s listening. No?

2. Humane AI Pin

This year, the Rabbit R1 wasn’t the only personal AI device vying for supremacy over your smartphone. The long-awaited Humane AI Pin arrived in April 2024, and it turned out that the critics were correct in their assessment that this device seemed too wonderful to be true based on early demos.

The concept was unquestionably radical and courageous, mind – a tiny wearable computer that can be attached (by magnet) to your garment (Star Trek-style) and includes a built-in camera. It’s based on a central AI assistant that you primarily control with voice commands, but there’s also a little laser projector that can project an interface (of sorts) onto your palm.

The Humane AI Pin was universally condemned by tech reviewers, with Marques Brownlee declaring it to be the “worst product I’ve ever reviewed,” which must sting.

The Pin deserves high honors for creativity and physical design, but the problem is that the device is far too pricey, slow to respond to your demands, and frequently incorrect. The cumbersome interface (the projected UI is difficult to use, to say the least) and the device’s overall unreliability don’t help.

Like the Rabbit, it’s a solution in search of a problem, and you’d be better off using your smartphone. True, this could be a glimpse into the future, but it also demonstrates that we are still firmly stuck in a current era in which the Humane AI Pin makes no practical sense.

1. Apple Vision Pro

Right, this one is a little difficult because we gave the Apple Vision Pro a really excellent review here at TechRadar. And yet, dear readers, you are telling us that this is the largest tech mistake of 2024 – by a significant margin. In fact, the Vision Pro received a staggering 62% of the total vote in our WhatsApp survey, making it the biggest flop by far.

How do we square that, you might ask? Despite our excellent evaluation of the Vision Pro, we did give the mixed-reality headset a fair amount of criticism. We all agreed that the Vision Pro is far too pricey (the obvious complaint here), too hefty, and that its apps are somewhat problematic.

$3,500 for a headset is insane, no matter how wonderful the visual and acoustic experience is – which is genuinely stunning, as we highlighted in our review.

That stunning quality is great, but hardware is only as good as its software, and that’s where the Vision Pro falls short. Buggy apps are one thing, and they are plainly problematic; but, a lack of applications is another stumbling hurdle.

This can be traced back to reports of shaky sales of the Vision Pro, which fell short of Apple’s expectations, prompting the company to reduce production in the summer – and then came a claim that Apple might even halt the headset assembly lines entirely by the end of 2024 (seasonally appropriate).

Regardless of how you slice it, units have not sold as much as Apple expected – especially for such a costly device – and as a result, software developers are not flocking to peddle wares to what is regarded to be a highly narrow demographic. In a yearly Mac developer poll (from Setapp), 35% of developers reported they had no plans to produce an app for the Vision Pro, and nearly half were unsure about supporting the headset with any software.

No genuine killer apps developed for the Vision Pro as 2024 progressed, and we get the impression Apple is losing patience and enthusiasm in its headgear given the overall reception it received this year.

So, while the Vision Pro may be an amazing product in some areas, it is undeniable that Apple’s headset is a flop in terms of sky-high pricing, apparent floundering sales, and a lack of excitement for support. According to the results of our poll, King tech is a flop.