As much as we like to celebrate the products that improved our lives in 2024, not every release lived up to its potential. Some products we’ve been excited about have stumbled due to poor performance, questionable design choices, or an inability to meet the high expectations they set for themselves.
The product doesn’t have to crash and burn to be brought down. Sometimes, simply failing to live up to the hype is enough. As we say every year, we’re not mad at these brands—we’re just disappointed.
Sony Bravia Theater U
Neck speakers have always been a separate niche from traditional 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 the Sony Bravia Theater U is that it sounds good—under the right, limited conditions. Those situations require you to sit still like a statue, which doesn’t match the way most people naturally relax and watch TV on their couch. For $300, you’d better buy your roommate some noise-canceling headphones, ensuring you can watch TV in peace.
Dell XPS 13 (2024)
This year’s Dell XPS lineup was supposed to be a great series of laptops, whether it’s 13, 14, or 16 inches. The slim but sturdy frame remains surprisingly quiet even under pressure, and a few models feature bright, vibrant OLED displays. So, what’s the problem? A bright, touch-sensitive operating line. While we may learn to live with—or love—an invisible trackpad, it’s hard to appreciate the ESC key that disappears when the laptop is turned off. Even worse, the touch-sensitive keys can fade in direct light, making accessing important controls like brightness or volume adjustments nearly impossible.
Apple Vision Pro
The Apple Vision Pro is the most technologically advanced VR headset you can buy right now. It features some of the best displays available, making watching movies or experiencing new “local” content feel truly unique. However, the device is not comfortable to use without third-party cables or headrests, mainly because of its metal and glass front plate. Carrying a power bank in your pocket adds to its inconvenience, especially if you just want to use it for a quick local run time. The biggest drawback, however, is the lack of applications that take full advantage 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’ve been fascinated by the Razer Freyja since we first saw it at CES last January. This sound-activated haptic chair promises a spine-tingling rumble, and it delivers—though perhaps too well, since it also responds to the low rumble of a deep-voiced NPC. Although it includes game-specific haptic features, these effects only work occasionally in some games, making it feel more like a novelty than a real immersion-enhancing tool. Another drawback is its reliance on the electrical outlet of the seat cushion, which leaves a very easy cable for your chair’s wheels to come undone. Overall, it’s an interesting device, but it’s still a generation (and a few fixes) away from greatness.
Rabbit R1
Like the rest of the internet, we were drawn to the orange and square Rabbit R1 when it was announced earlier this year. The AI-enabled device promises to do it all. However, when we got one, the $200 AI assistant struggled with even basic tasks. Its image recognition was poor so it often made me wonder if it even had a camera, and its “all day” battery didn’t last a few hours. To Rabbit’s credit, the company has been rolling out regular software updates for the R1 since launch, but there’s still a long way to go.
AirPods 4 with ANC
AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation (ANC) should have been a slam dunk, but the short and sluggish battery life makes it hard to recommend them over the previous generation AirPods. While adding ANC is a welcome development, it struggles to block out the city’s loud noises such as horns and sirens. If ANC is more important, AirPods Pro 2 is the best option for those committed to the Apple ecosystem. The battery life of the AirPods 4 is even more disappointing; it fails to last a full working day before needing to be recharged.
The MSI Claw
The MSI Claw was launched at an inauspicious time, entering a market full of attractive handhelds. Its design was reminiscent of the Asus ROG Ally, but its ergonomics were unusual, and the shoulder buttons were disappointingly spongy. While the handheld received several updates to improve its performance, it still fails to compete with AMD’s flagship Z1 Extreme. To make matters worse, the $800 price tag felt steep for what it offered.
Roto VR Explorer chair
The $800 Roto VR Explorer chair is a great example of a good idea let down by poor execution. It’s a VR gaming chair designed to rotate where your head turns. In theory, this sounds focused and fun, but in practice, it feels like a carnival ride, constantly stopping and starting. The main result is that the Explorer does not perform well in games that require more dynamic movements than simply turning the head. While there are interesting experiences with VR Explorer, it ultimately undermines what we love most about VR: freedom of movement.
Meta Ray-Bans
Don’t get me wrong—I really enjoy wearing my Meta Ray-Bans. Not only are they stylish, but they’re also great for capturing high-quality first-person videos and photos. Also, they are an easy way to listen to music or hear your messages without holding your phone. However, the biggest problem with the Meta Ray-Bans is the AI features, which are hit or miss. They often give incorrect or irrelevant answers to your questions or requests. We joked that smart glasses have “daddy brains” because they confidently give negative feedback. Recently, Meta added a live translation feature, which is a nice addition, but it’s hard to keep up when the speaker is speaking quickly in another language.
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