Too old, too expensive or not profitable enough: several products or software have said goodbye in 2022. In an ever-changing technological world, longevity or innovation are no longer assets to survive.
Internet Explorer, iPod, BlackBerry, Pixy, and Portal all retired this year. Let’s go back to its glory hours, but above all to its outcome.
Internet Explorer History
Often mocked for its slowness, Internet Explorer ended up being retired in 2022. Microsoft’s storied browser has actually seen several deaths. First in May 2021 when its end had been announced. Then, last June, where his departure was registered once and for all.
It must be said that Internet Explorer was no longer the favorite of Internet users. Only 0.64% of web browsing was done from Internet Explorer in May 2022, according to statistics counter. Compare, Google Chrome recorded 64.95% of browsing, 19.01% for Safari on Apple. Microsoft is still trying to attract internet users with Microsoft Edge, but with just 4.45% market share as of November 2022, that seems like a tall order.
The iconic BlackBerry
An azerty or qwerty keyboard with keys as small as the trackpad in the middle of the device: the BlackBerry will have marked several generations of digital enthusiasts. In 2009, the brand’s phones accounted for 20% of the category’s devices sold worldwide. And after 40 years of ups and downs, BlackBerry has seen the end of its life marked by an abrupt interruption of updates essential to its operation.
January 4, 2022 has hit like this the gradual death knell of touchtone phones, preventing them from calling or texting, but also from accessing the Internet. BlackBerry, however, was the pioneer of instant messaging with BlackBerry Messenger created in 2005, before WhatsApp and Messenger got the better of the service.
The mythical iPod
Whether it’s Nano, Touch or Shuffle, Apple’s iPod has accompanied several generations of music lovers. On May 10, Apple signed the death notice for its legendary music player. The first iPod was released in 2001, long before the first iPhone, and at the time it allowed you to carry 1,000 songs in your pocket.
But the lack of on-device internet and the gradual rise of streaming services on classic smartphones quickly made the iPod old, if not obsolete. Its production thus stopped in 2017, after 26 models had been launched and more than 450 million readers had been sold.
Two questions arise: what caused the failure of Pixy, but more importantly, what was Pixy? For those who missed it, the Fire Pixy is the drone that Snapchat once marketed. Formalized in April 2022, the social network’s little yellow drone was meant to be affordable and easy to use. Snapchat even wanted to turn your device into a flying selfie stick.
Unfortunately, this selfie drone quickly turned out to be disappointing. The device was considered to be of poor quality and too noisy. Thus, as of August 2022, Snapchat announced that it would stop production of his strange flying object and no longer works on new versions. However, the device is still available for sale at a price of 250 euros.
The Amazing Portal
Launched in 2018, Portal would have had the merit of lasting several years. The connected screen developed by Facebook made it possible to make video calls and organize video conferences, but only through Meta ecosystem applications (such as Messenger or WhatsApp). However, Portal’s sales are far from anecdotal. In 2021 alone, 800,000 smart screens would have been sold, but the price of this low-use screen was not cheap: from 199 to 349 euros depending on the size.
But the crisis that Meta is going through he will have been right about Portal in November 2022. With the loss of 11,000 jobs, it is difficult to focus on all the technologies launched by the group. Facebook Gaming also paid the price for Mark Zuckerberg’s desire to bet everything on the metaverse
It should have been the start of a new era for gaming. This will ultimately be one of the biggest fiascoes. When Google announces the launch of a cloud gaming service that will require neither a computer nor a console, but simply a smartphone or controller, the gaming environment heats up. But Stadia starts with bad omens at the end of 2019, amputated by a good number of promises of innovative services and accompanied by a very scarce catalog of games. It will never really recover from this failed start.
Already anecdotal, the number of players has decreased over time. Exclusives and big games will never happen. Google shuts down its creative studios without releasing a single game in early 2021. On January 18, 2023, all Stadia will be retired after refunding players. Cloud gaming technology, probably the most stable on the market, will stick around, but likely to the delight of other gaming entities.
Source: BFM TV
