The smartphone world is brutal. One minute, a brand is hyping up “the future of mobile technology,” and the next, that very phone is being sold at 90% off just to clear out warehouse space. Some of these phones had groundbreaking ideas, others had wild marketing gimmicks, and some… well, they just never should have existed. Let’s take a nostalgic (and slightly hilarious) look at some of the biggest smartphone flops in history.
Amazon Fire Phone – A Fire That Burned Out Fast
Amazon thought it could take on Apple and Samsung with the Fire Phone in 2014. The idea? A phone with a 3D-like interface, a bunch of cameras for “Dynamic Perspective,” and deep integration with Amazon’s shopping ecosystem. Sounds cool, right? Wrong.
Nobody asked for these features. The 3D gimmick felt unnecessary, and worst of all, it was priced at $649—putting it in direct competition with iPhones and Galaxy devices, which were just… better. Amazon lost nearly $170 million on this disaster, and the Fire Phone was quietly buried in the tech graveyard.
LG Wing – The Swivel That Didn’t Spin Sales
In 2020, LG thought, “What if we make a phone with a screen that swivels sideways into a T-shape?” And thus, the LG Wing was born. It was weird, futuristic, and surprisingly well-built. But let’s be real—how many people actually needed a phone with a rotating display?
It was too expensive, too niche, and too impractical. A few tech reviewers loved it, but the average buyer took one look and said, “Nah.” Shortly after, LG decided to exit the smartphone business entirely.
Essential Phone – The Hype That Didn’t Stick
Founded by Andy Rubin (the co-creator of Android), the Essential Phone in 2017 was supposed to redefine smartphones. It had an edge-to-edge display before iPhones did, a titanium-and-ceramic body, and modular accessories.
Unfortunately, it flopped hard. The camera was bad, the software felt unfinished, and despite its premium price, it didn’t have water resistance or a headphone jack. Essential tried to survive, but by 2020, it was game over.
HTC First – The “Facebook Phone” That Nobody Wanted
Remember when Facebook tried making its own phone? No? That’s because nobody bought it.
The HTC First (2013) came preloaded with Facebook Home, an Android skin that basically turned your phone into a Facebook machine. The problem? Facebook isn’t an operating system. People wanted normal Android, not a device that forced them to live inside Zuckerberg’s world.
It was priced at $99, but AT&T slashed it to 99 cents within a month. Yes, it was that bad.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 – The One That Exploded… Literally
This one didn’t flop because it was bad. In fact, it was one of the best-reviewed phones of 2016—until it started catching fire.
The Galaxy Note 7 had a major battery defect, causing devices to explode. Airlines banned it from flights, Samsung had to recall millions of units, and the brand lost over $5 billion. They recovered with later models, but the Note 7 remains one of the most infamous smartphone disasters ever.
RED Hydrogen One – A “Holographic” Phone That Vanished
Hollywood camera company RED tried making a phone in 2018, claiming it had a “holographic display.” The problem? The holograms looked like 3D from a bad 2000s movie.
The camera was mediocre, the software was buggy, and at $1,295, it was more expensive than an iPhone—without the features to justify it. Even RED admitted it was a disaster, and they never made another phone again.
Nokia N-Gage – The Taco Phone That Gamers Hated
Ah, the Nokia N-Gage (2003)—a phone designed for gaming that somehow got everything wrong. You had to remove the battery just to change game cartridges, and the phone itself looked like a taco.
The worst part? To make a call, you had to hold the device sideways, looking like a total fool. Gamers hated it, and it was discontinued in just two years.
Final Thoughts: What Did We Learn?
These flops prove that even the biggest tech companies can get it horribly wrong. Whether it’s overhyping a gimmick, pricing a phone too high, or just plain bad design choices, not every smartphone idea is a winner.
Which of these flops do you remember? Or did you ever own one? Let us know—we promise we won’t judge.
