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Failed Phone Designs

By Rain Noe - October 5, 2011

in Object Culture | Design Business

In ID school you fail if your designs suck; in the real world you can fail even if your designs are good. Once you're sharing project space with engineers, marketers, interface designers, accountants, et cetera there are a lot of opportunities for product failure, as seen in this "Worst Phones of All Time" slideshow.

The title's a bit of a misnomer as it only goes back to 2004's failed iPaq H3615, but it's fun to look through and try to figure out what went wrong with each doomed product. And from snap-on keyboards to Mommy and Daddy call buttons, it's interesting to see what choices the designers of these ill-fated products made—or had thrust upon them by one of the other branches during what was presumably a contentious conference room session.

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bongo

13 years ago

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today its.. Job died for your sins...
Jae- spoken like a true marketed product person... PT Barnum would be proud.
The phone should be a tool. Well designed for its usage. But only a tool for the Human user. Apple has provided not a Human Interface, but an Interfaced Human. For a monthly Fee of course.
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Duane Brown

13 years ago

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Jae.. what exactly is the story of the iphone?? I get the experience thing.

Funny how you mention that they are all the same... man
iphone 1-5 are all exactly the same except for minor aesthetic differences.
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Jae

13 years ago

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I think every new android phone on the market today is a failed product. Why? Because I feel every phone is exactly the same, except for its aesthetic differences. The thing is none of these have a story to tell. They are just more of the same product, made from different companies, trying to get a piece of the same pie. And I think this is wasteful design and use of resources. I think the reason why the iPhone is so successful is because it doesnt try to sell you a product, it sells you a story and experience. It's the same thing with cars. Why do you buy a porsche or bmw? Because of it's story, history and heritage. I believe a product without a story is a failed product, no matter how amazing it is or how well it sells.
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Jennifer

13 years ago

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Its tough with designing technology because I agree that something can be good and still fail because there is something that is better out there. Every time I go to look for a new phone there is so many different types or they have one that is very similar to the one I used to have but it has changed in many different ways or just a few ways. Technology keeps improving and designers are constantly having to beat out other brands not just make something that seems good. To me i prefer a more simple and basic phone. I own one that is similar to one of the top right phones. Just one that slides up and shows a key board but is also a touch screen. It is not the highest in technology but it works for me. A lot of people just wait and wait for something newer to come out. For example the IPHONE 4. Do people get it because they really make the use of it or do they get it because it is the new and "cool." thing to have? It is crazy to look at all the technology we have today and something that was amazing a few years ago is old and out of date and there are so much new and better things. People do not get the full use out of the product before they go and buy the new because something is bigger and better.
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