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How we like to celebrate the things that have changed our lives 2024not every release lived up to its potential. Some products we’ve been excited about have stumbled due to poor performance, questionable choices, or simply failing to live up to expectations.
A thing does not have to be crushed and burned to destroy it. Sometimes, just not being able to do extreme things is enough. As we say every year, we are not angry about these things—just disappointed.
Sony Bravia Theater U
Neck speakers have always been a replacement for headphones. The idea is to wear it around your neck so that those around you cannot hear what you are listening to. The sad thing about Sony Bravia Theater U is that it sounds good – under the right, limited conditions. This requires you to be as still as a statue, which is not in keeping with the way most people sit all the time watching TV on their couch. At $300, you’re better off buying some noise-canceling headphones for your partner, ensuring you can watch TV in peace.
Dell XPS 13 (2024)
Year of Dell XPS The line should be for most laptops, whether it’s 13, 14, or 16 inches. The thin but sturdy frame is impressively quiet even under stress, and several models feature bright, crisp OLED displays. So what is the problem? A line of light, touch. While we can learn to live with—or even love—an invisible trackpad, it’s hard to appreciate the missing ESC key when the laptop is turned off. Worse, the touch-sensitive keys can disappear and directly illuminate, making access to important controls such as brightness or volume adjustments impossible.
Apple Vision Pro
The Apple Vision Pro it’s the best VR headset you can buy right now. It has the best display available, which makes watching movies or watching new “slow” movies feel special. However, the device is difficult to use without third-party cables or headrests, mainly due to the metal and glass front. Carrying a power bank in your pocket adds to its complexity, especially if you only want to use the quick part of the site. The biggest downside, however, is the lack of apps that make good use of its external sensors. While improvements are expected over time, it’s hard to ignore these shortcomings – especially at the $3,500 price point, where you’d expect Apple to prioritize usability.
Razer Freyja
We are impressed with Razer Freyja since we saw it at CES last January. The haptic seat with sound promises a spine-tingling sensation, and it delivers—albeit perhaps too well, because it’s also affected by the NPC’s low-pitched sound. While it does include a number of unique gameplay features, these effects only occur sporadically in other games, making it feel more like a novelty than a true immersion tool. Another limitation is relying on the seat’s power output, leaving a cable that doesn’t easily cause your seat’s wheels to wobble. Overall, it’s an impressive device, but still a generation (with a few changes) away from greatness.
Rabbit R1
Like the rest of the internet, we were fascinated by the orange and the square Rabbit R1 when it was announced at the beginning of the year. An AI-assisted device promised to do it all. However, when we got one, the $200 AI assistant struggled with the most basic tasks. Its photo recognition was so poor it often made me question whether it had a camera, and its “all day” battery didn’t last a few hours. To Rabbit’s credit, the company has been rolling out software updates for the R1 since its launch, but there’s still a long way to go.
AirPods 4 with ANC
The AirPods 4 with noise canceling (ANC) should be a dunk, but the short battery life and convenience make it difficult to recommend them over previous AirPods. While adding ANC is a welcome upgrade, it struggles to block out city noise like horns and sirens. If ANC is more important, AirPods Pro 2 is a better option for those who are committed to the Apple ecosystem. The battery life of the AirPods 4 is very disappointing; it fails to last a full working day before needing to be recharged.
MSI Claw
The MSI Claw it was launched at a time of disaster, entering a market full of impressive handhelds. Its design was reminiscent of the Asus ROG Ally, but its ergonomics were difficult, and the shoulder buttons were disappointing. While the handset received a number of updates to improve its performance, it was still not able to compete with AMD’s Z1 Extreme-powered handsets. To make matters worse, the $800 price tag was steep for what it offered.
Indoor VR Explorer Chair
It’s $800 Inner VR Explorer The chair is a perfect example of a great concept gone down with poor execution. It’s a VR gaming chair designed to rotate where your head turns. In theory, this sounds serious and fun, but in practice, it feels like a carnival ride, constantly stopping and starting. The biggest downside is that the Explorer doesn’t do well in games that require more dynamic movement than just turning the head. While there are some fun experiences with VR Explorer, it ultimately compromises what we love most about VR: freedom of movement.
Cut out the Ray-Bans
Don’t get me wrong—I love wearing mine Cut out the Ray-Bans. Not only are they beautiful, but they are also great for capturing videos and first-person photos. Plus, it’s a great way to listen to music or hear your messages without picking up your phone. However, the main problem with the Meta Ray-Bans is the AI feature, which is hit or miss. They often give incorrect or inappropriate answers to your questions or requests. We joked that smart glasses have “dad brains” because of the way they confidently give the wrong answer. Recently, Meta added a live translation feature, which is a nice addition, but it’s difficult to keep up when the speaker is speaking quickly in another language.
