15 Tech Devices With Useless Features
Here's a look at tech devices that promised innovation but delivered features nobody really needed.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
Tech history is full of devices that introduced flashy features which turned out to be unnecessary or impractical. From smartphones with built-in projectors to headphones that doubled as air purifiers, these products often prioritized novelty over usefulness. This list highlights 15 real examples where innovation went too far and left consumers unimpressed.
1. Samsung Galaxy S4’s Air Gesture
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The Samsung Galaxy S4 introduced “Air Gesture,” which let users wave their hands over the screen to scroll or answer calls. In reality, it was far less responsive than just tapping the phone directly. Most people ignored it after trying it once.
2. Google Glass’s Wink-to-Take-a-Photo
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Google Glass allowed users to snap a picture just by winking, a feature that sounded futuristic. Unfortunately, it often misfired, taking random photos when users blinked naturally. It quickly became a privacy concern and an annoyance.
3. Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor
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Nintendo once revealed a finger clip sensor designed to measure stress levels during gaming. It never made it past the prototype stage because it had little use beyond showing your pulse. Gamers found it baffling compared to more exciting Wii accessories.
4. Motorola Atrix Laptop Dock
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The Motorola Atrix smartphone could plug into a laptop shell that turned it into a pseudo-computer. The dock was expensive and clunky, with limited functionality that made it obsolete compared to regular laptops. Few consumers saw any point in it.
5. Apple’s Touch Bar on MacBook Pro
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Apple replaced traditional function keys with a thin touchscreen strip called the Touch Bar. It promised customization but ended up being slower and less reliable than physical keys. Apple quietly removed it from newer models after years of criticism.
6. Sony Xperia Z’s 3D Camera Sweep
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The Xperia Z included a feature to create 3D panoramic images by sweeping the camera across a scene. Since most people didn’t have 3D-capable displays, the feature was practically useless. It was quickly forgotten as smartphone photography advanced.
7. Juicero Smart Juicer
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Juicero made headlines for selling a $400 Wi-Fi-enabled juicer. The machine was only compatible with proprietary juice packs, which could also be squeezed by hand with the same result. The device became a symbol of pointless Silicon Valley tech.
8. LG G5’s Modular Friends
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The LG G5 featured a modular design, allowing users to swap out the phone’s bottom to add accessories like a camera grip. While innovative, the add-ons were expensive, limited, and rarely supported. The feature flopped, and LG abandoned modular phones.
9. Amazon Fire Phone’s Dynamic Perspective
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Amazon’s Fire Phone used four front-facing cameras to track head movement for a 3D-like screen effect. The gimmick looked flashy but drained battery and added little to daily use. It failed to convince buyers, leading to the phone’s quick demise.
10. Dyson’s Zone Headphones with Air Purifier
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Dyson launched headphones that doubled as a wearable air purifier with a detachable mask. The idea was marketed for city living, but it looked bulky and impractical. Few people wanted to walk around with a mini air filter attached to their face.
11. Polaroid Socialmatic Camera
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This square-shaped digital camera allowed instant sharing of photos to social media. While stylish, it was redundant since smartphones already did the same thing with better quality. It faded into obscurity after the initial novelty wore off.
12. Samsung Galaxy Beam Projector Phone
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The Galaxy Beam included a built-in projector for displaying videos on walls. It drained the battery quickly and had poor brightness, making it nearly unusable outside dark rooms. Most people preferred bigger screens or portable projectors instead.
13. Razer Phone’s 120Hz Display (at Launch)
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Razer hyped its first smartphone with a groundbreaking 120Hz display for gaming. At launch, almost no apps or games supported the feature, so it was wasted. The display only gained relevance years later as high-refresh screens became common.
14. Microsoft Kin Phones
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The Kin phones targeted young users with features for social media sharing. However, they lacked basic smartphone functions like apps and had expensive contracts. The devices flopped within weeks, showing how unnecessary their “social” focus was.
15. Smart Refrigerators with Twitter Access
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Some early smart fridges came with a feature that allowed you to tweet directly from the refrigerator screen. While futuristic in theory, no one realistically stood in their kitchen composing tweets this way. The novelty quickly turned into a punchline.