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We will say goodbye to many beloved gadgets in 2022, including the iPod and BlackBerry. They are no longer with us, though.
The tech industry has experienced a wild year. Everyone was left wondering what would happen to the social media giant after Elon Musk's $44 billion acquisition of the company and the subsequent drama. We were given a glimpse into the potential future of artificial intelligence when ChatGPT produced writing on a human level. However, we also witnessed the end of numerous products and services over the past year. Some will be deeply missed, while others will simply be omitted forever. As the calendar turns, we mourn their passing and take time to remember them.
iPod Touch The iPod Touch's demise had been anticipated for some time, so it should not have come as a surprise. When the iPhone was released, the iPod, Steve Jobs' iconic music player, reached its zenith. Despite this, Apple continued to offer the iPod in a variety of forms. Without cellular connectivity, the last iPod Touch model closely resembles the iPhone 4. The $199 iPod Touch became unnecessary as streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music became the norm for music listening. It begs the question of why it took Apple so long to end support for the iPod Touch, which has only received minor updates in recent years. Before the iPhone, which also had the same capabilities, became popular, the iPod Touch was a great device for trying out games and apps. Although the "iPod" brand is no longer in use, Apple's tiny music player will always be remembered for revolutionizing how we listen to music.
Google Stadia When the cloud-based gaming service Stadia launched in 2019, Google laid out a disruptive strategy to compete with conventional game consoles. Google pretended from the beginning that Stadia would stream AAA games to all of your devices. Additionally, we all gave in to Google's vision. It was undeniably appealing to have access to the most popular games without having to own a console.
However, the final product and the initial pitch were completely different. There was no lucidity concerning what sort of crowd was considered fit for a stage like Stadia. From the beginning, the issue was the lack of notable exclusives; however, when Google began offering Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia, many people either already owned those games on other platforms or intended to purchase them for those platforms. Stadia was built on impressive technology, but Google, like many of its previous unsuccessful products, failed to comprehend the market they were attempting to enter.
Google said at the beginning of 2021 that it would close its in-house development studios and instead offer Stadia as a platform for others to build on. The announcement that Stadia would be shutting down was made public in September 2022, as many had anticipated. Though many people believe Google shouldn't give up on Stadia easily, the truth is that the company knew Microsoft might become its biggest cloud gaming rival. The unexpected progress of the Xbox Game Pass and Microsoft's rising status in the gaming scene might have hints to the end of Google's Stadia.
BlackBerry A two-minute silence for BlackBerry, ladies and gentlemen. The use of older BlackBerry devices came to an end in 2022. The Canadian company made the announcement that the servers necessary for older BlackBerry devices to function properly had been shut down. Any smartphones or tablets running BlackBerry's own software will "no longer reliably function" on January 4. This means that you won't be able to make calls or send texts with your previous Blackberry device. BlackBerry, which was once associated with business executives, has reached incredible heights but has become a victim of its own success. Despite the fact that BlackBerry has been declared dead numerous times previously, this time the phones actually went into silent mode and remained silent forever.
Amazon Sparkle
In the event that you haven't caught wind of Amazon Gleam, you are in good company. The video-calling device marketed to children known as The Glow was an unsuccessful endeavor by Amazon. A table projector was already included in the experimental video chat device. The device projected games, books, or puzzles into the table that responded when touched, allowing children to video chat with their grandparents. It was a one-of-a-kind item that could only be had by invitation. Amazon, on the other hand, stopped selling the device six months after its wider rollout. Although Amazon's current situation reveals that the company has decided to focus on products and services that have the potential to generate profits in the long run rather than experimental devices, the reason for Glow's discontinuation is unclear. Anything that might be the justification for the cessation, it is miserable to perceive how an organization kills exceptionally situated items when its needs change.
Apple Watch Series 3 Many people had begun to describe the Apple Watch Series 3 as "pointless" and "unnecessary." There was no commercial failure with Series 3. In fact, the exact opposite was true. Despite the fact that an affordable Apple Watch SE for entry-level use was available, Apple continued to sell the Series 3 for more than five years. The only thing the Series 3 did was make the Apple Watch the most affordable option. The end of the most popular Apple Watch model was confirmed by the absence of support for Series 3 and the announcement of WatchOS 9 at WWDC. For many, the end of Series 3 didn't come as a complete shock. The watch's slower processor began to show its age, and it lacked a modern design. Customers now have the option of selecting the Watch SE 2 as a replacement for the Series 3.