Email Not every futuristic promise makes it to the finish line. From shatterproof windows that shattered on stage to smart devices that turned out dumber than expected, tech history is filled with flops disguised as revolutions. Some were ahead of their time. Others? Just flat-out bad ideas wrapped in sleek marketing. Here’s a look at seven hyped-up products, including Tesla’s infamous Cybertruck, that promised the future, but instead delivered a facepalm. 1. Tesla Cybertruck – From Blade Runner to Busted Glass When Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck in 2019, it looked like something out of a dystopian sci-fi movie. It had a stainless steel exoskeleton, shatterproof “armor glass,” and an angular, polarizing design that screamed disruption. Elon Musk claimed it would be tougher, faster, and cheaper than any pickup on the market. Millions tuned in to the livestream, and millions watched the now-iconic fail when the “bulletproof” window cracked during a live demo. READ: Elon Musk’s Tesla enters India with $70,000 model; Set to compete with BMW, Mercedes-Benz (July 15, 2025) Years later, the Cybertruck finally hit limited production in 2023, four years after its unveiling. But it arrived with a slew of compromises: reduced range, ballooned price, awkward size, and a user experience that some early drivers found impractical. While not a total failure (yet), the Cybertruck has become a textbook example of the dangers of overpromising in the tech world. 2. Amazon Fire Phone – The Flame That Fizzled Fast Amazon, a titan in e-commerce and smart home tech, decided to take on Apple and Samsung with the Fire Phone in 2014. It was packed with unique features like 3D dynamic perspective and deep integration with Amazon’s ecosystem. The company bet big on its ability to convert loyal Prime users into phone customers. Unfortunately, nobody wanted it. The Fire Phone was overpriced, underpowered, and lacked access to Google’s Play Store. Worse, its flashy features were more gimmick than gamechanger. Within a year, Amazon discontinued the device, writing off $170 million in unsold inventory and quietly backing out of the smartphone race. 3. Google Glass – A Vision of the Future That Got Blurry Fast In 2013, Google Glass burst onto the scene with a bold vision: wearable augmented reality that would revolutionize how we interact with the world. Tech influencers, journalists, and celebrities were given early access. The device offered hands-free voice commands, a display above the eye, and real-time information. It felt like something pulled right from Minority Report. But privacy concerns, a steep $1,500 price tag, and a lack of killer apps doomed Google Glass. Public backlash was fierce, users were called “Glassholes” and banned from bars and movie theaters. Google eventually pivoted to enterprise use before shelving the project entirely by 2023. It remains a cautionary tale of what happens when innovation forgets practicality. 4. Juicero – The $400 Wi-Fi Juice Press No One Asked For Juicero entered the wellness-tech space in 2016 with a bang. The $400 machine was marketed as a smart, clean, high-tech way to make fresh juice from proprietary pre-packaged produce packs. It was sleek, Silicon Valley-approved, and backed by major investors like Google Ventures. Then came the viral moment that killed it: someone squeezed a juice pack by hand, no machine needed, and got the exact same result. The press offered no meaningful function other than looking futuristic. Juicero was roasted online as peak startup absurdity and shut down in 2017, becoming a meme and a case study in over-engineering a simple task. 5. Ouya Console – Kickstarter Darling, Living Room Dud The Ouya promised to revolutionize gaming. Backed by a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012, it was a $99 Android-based console meant to bring indie games to the living room. Developers were intrigued, gamers were excited, and the campaign raised over $8 million. But once in hand, the reality didn’t live up to the promise. The hardware was underwhelming, the controller felt cheap, and the game library was shallow. Developers lost interest, and players moved on. By 2015, the company was sold off, and in 2019, the platform was finally shut down. Ouya is now remembered more for Kickstarter hype than any actual gameplay. Each of these products promised the moon, some even got close, but most fell victim to the same trap: overpromising and under delivering. Whether it was poor timing, technical issues, or a fundamental misunderstanding of what consumers wanted, these flops remind us that buzz isn’t enough. So next time a company promises to reinvent a category with bold claims and shiny demos, remember: even the biggest brands can miss the mark, sometimes spectacularly.