I mean seriously, when was the last time you saw or heard anything about 3D TVs? At one time this technology was on a wave of popularity, but today few people will remember it. In this article, I’d like to look at a couple of examples of this technology, which was, what they call, on a hype cycle, but ended up not being needed.
Eywa is eternal and 3D TVs are not.
In the late 2000s, the producers of televisions, monitors and even mobile phones actively pursued the theme of 3D. It was even announced that a new era of 3D television had dawned. Perhaps it all started before Avatar arrived in cinemas, but the film made things faster as everyone got addicted to 3D. The high price did not deter consumers, although any TV with 3D function was much more expensive than its analog, only without 3D. The manufacturers of tablets and phones started making “3D devices” out of a feeling of profit. But they were not very popular, and over time, sales of 3D TVs began to fade as well.
As a result, by 2017, many companies had stopped releasing new 3D TVs. What is the reason for this? It can be explained by several factors:
Untimeliness. Several years before 3D TVs entered the market, consumers had already purchased the then-new HDTVs and not all potential customers wanted to splurge.
High cost. Not enough to own a TV, you have to buy 3D content for it! This, of course, is a very expensive treat, Blu-ray with 3D support, new 3D enabled cable/satellite set-top boxes and the like.
The need for additional equipment. One word: glasses. Or rather a few words: glasses which only fit one type of TV and again cost money, especially if we’re talking about active shutter glasses.
In general, 3D has over time become an occasional entertainment, going to the cinema once a month to see a 3D movie is fine, but investing in a home 3D system has simply not been profitable.
To wire or not to wire
In 2012, Nokia launched the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920. The feature of these phones was wireless charging. I myself became a lucky owner of the Nokia Lumia 920 around 2014 and bragged terribly about being able to charge the phone without a wire. At the time, I thought it was the future of chargers. However, almost ten years have passed and wireless charging technology hasn’t really made much headway. This approach has a number of design disadvantages that are not easy to overcome.
The inability to use the phone while charging.
This is an aspect that particularly annoyed me while using a Nokia. You had to wait for the phone to charge before you could use it again. The charging stand allows you to place the phone in an upright position and not interrupt use. But it’s still not very convenient, as one wrong move of the hand would move the smartphone off the coil and the battery recharge would be interrupted. Wires are more reliable in this regard.
Extra cost.
Another obvious disadvantage of wireless charging is the need to additionally purchase a docking station. Of course, it doesn’t come with the phone. While many manufacturers equip smartphones with a factory USB cable. It turns out that wireless charging requires additional costs. A quality wireless charger from a reputable manufacturer will cost at least $20-25. Multifunctional chargers for several devices are mostly available at prices starting at $40. Not all users are willing to spend that much money to purchase an additional accessory. In order to save money, it is better to use a regular wire, especially if it comes with the phone.
Low charging speed.
Wireless charging is significantly less powerful than wired charging. For example, the top flagship Xiaomi 12 Pro (Dimensity Version) has a 67-watt wired and a 50-watt wireless charger. On paper it seems like a small difference, but in reality the smartphone will be powered up much faster from the cable. It’s a similar situation with the new Google Pixel 7: a wired 30-watt charger will power the battery up to 50% in just 30 minutes, while a wireless one will take about an hour. If you’re in a hurry, you’re better off using a cable.
Funny observation: even complimentary articles written about wireless charging acknowledge the advantage of charging from a cable, but as if urging the reader to appreciate that the creators at least tried. Truly necessary technology doesn’t usually need such reassurance.
Big Brother is watching you. Or is he?
Back in 2012, Google Glass seemed like a real miracle. Something we could only imagine in sci-fi movies. “The future is already here” was written by various publications. But is it really so? From our current perspective we can say definitely not. But why, what has happened?
There are two main reasons, technical and social. The second includes privacy issues. When Google Glass was desperately publicised, some were already beginning to be wary of the device. The glasses were even banned from bars and cinemas. And in general, with growing concerns about the protection of personal data, the ethics of such a device are being questioned a great deal.
However, this is a minor point when you consider that in reality Google Glass is simply useless. Uncomfortable controls, laggy interface, overheating problems, very low battery life (literally a couple of hours) – after all, what is Google Glass good for anyway? It’s easier to put a GoPro on your head for hands-free video shooting. The browser could only be used by people who like pain, and while driving the glasses were distracting and even caused a few accidents.
The most interesting thing is that Google hasn’t given up on their product. Not once has anyone from the top management of the corporation called Google Glass a failure or announced the cancellation of the product. The commercial release of the device has been constantly postponed. Tony Fadell, formerly of Apple, was brought on board. Five years ago, he was tasked with bringing the device to fruition. Rumours of an upgraded version of Google Glass have been circulating online from time to time, but whether it will reach users is a big question.
In conclusion, I have made one interesting point since writing this article. Marketing is a powerful thing. However, it is not durable at all.
References:
3D TV Is Dead—What You Need To Know. (2021, April 17). Lifewire. https://www.lifewire.com/why-3d-tv-died-4126776
Proença, E. (2013, August 9). Review: Wireless Charger for Nokia Lumia 820 and Lumia 920. Showmetech. https://www.showmetech.com.br/en/review-wireless-charger-for-nokia-lumia-820-and-lumia-920/
Leow, V. (2021, July 14). Does Fast Wireless Charging Really Affect Your Phone Battery? https://chargeasap.com/blogs/news/does-fast-wireless-charging-really-affect-your-phone-battery
Srivastava, P. (2022, July 13). Why Google Glass Failed? Google Glass Failure Case Study. StartupTalky. https://startuptalky.com/google-glass-failure-case-study/
