How many of these discontinued products do you remember?
Like natural selection, products need to adapt to survive the climate around them. As technology advances, products that can’t adapt will be discontinued. It’s a harsh reality, and sometimes, these once iconic products were used by everyone. From BlackBerry phones to Flip Video cameras, see if you can remember these seven discontinued products.
Headphone jacks
With Apple being the leading phone brand in the U.S., many Americans are deprived of headphone jacks. Removed in 2016 with the release of the iPhone 7, Apple argued that not having headphone jacks would allow for a slimmer look on their phones, higher water resistance and usher in a new wave of wireless headphone products like the AirPods and AirPods Max.
However, there has been a recent wave of Gen Z going analog as more and more Apple users revert to wired earbuds. Compared to wireless products, wired earbuds are cheaper and don’t need to be charged. Without Apple’s headphone jack, users are forced to plug their wired earbuds into the only USB-C port available on an Apple phone, which is used to charge the phone. If your phone is dying but you also want to use your wired earbuds, you can only do one or the other.
Sega Genesis
In 1989, arcade mogul Sega released one of its most popular gaming consoles, the Sega Genesis, in North America. The Sega Genesis gaming console featured a 16-bit processor and edgy marketing that directly targeted its competitor, Nintendo, which was why it became a popular commodity for teenagers at the time.
However, the creation of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” game was what drove Sega Genesis’ sales. Created to rival Nintendo’s Mario, Sega’s Sonic stole the hearts of teenagers everywhere. Along with other games like “Mortal Kombat” and “Golden Axe,” the large catalog of games and its 16-bit processor made Sega Genesis an adored product before its discontinuation in 1997.
iPod
When Apple released the first iPod in 2001, it changed the way people listened to music. Before the iPod, music was only accessible on cassette players and radios, while newly released songs were on MTV and YouTube. The iPod allowed users to listen to up to 1,000 songs with just a few clicks. Along with its fun, vibrant colors, iPods became immensely popular with young millennials. However, with the rise of music streaming services like Spotify, Apple consolidated the iPod’s main uses into its iPhone. In 2022, Apple discontinued iPod production, signifying an end to the way music was listened to.
Lawn Darts
Lawn Darts, also known as Jarts, were banned in the United States in 1988 for good reason — they were about 12 inches long and had a sharp, heavy metal tip to pierce the ground. Jarts were played similarly to the popular bar game. However, they were banned after around 6,000 Americans, mostly children and adolescents, visited emergency rooms related to Jarts injuries between 1980 and 1988. During that time, three children died as a result of Jarts accidents.
While there have been safer variations of Jarts, the original metal-tipped Jarts are no longer being sold. This backyard activity is truly something millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha will never experience.
Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo
Before the Herbal Essences that stocked grocery store shelves across the country, there was Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo, which became a sought-after product for women in the 1970s. The shampoo had a distinct green hue and botanical, earthy scents that couldn’t be replicated by other companies. However, when Procter & Gamble purchased the brand in 2001, it discontinued the product. Today, the closest thing that comes to the iconic Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo is vintage products or replicas of the scent.
BlackBerry
Back in the early 2000s, in almost every corporate America office, every person would have a BlackBerry phone attached to their hand. Primarily used as a “work phone,” BlackBerry phones became a corporate staple for sending emails between co-workers and higher-ups. Though it had other uses like web browsing, a camera and a calendar, its highly encrypted communication software made for secure communication within a company. However, with brands like Apple and Android implementing touchscreen phones and combining both professional and entertainment uses into a single gadget, BlackBerry couldn’t compete and stopped making its phones in 2018, with the brand now focusing on enterprise cybersecurity.
Flip Video Cameras
When Pure Digital Technologies released the Flip Video camera, it changed the way everyone recorded footage. Before the Flip Video, recording footage was cumbersome, as people had to purchase bulky cameras and transferring footage from the camera to the computer was a long and annoying process. But when the Flip Video camera was released in 2006, Pure Digital Technologies created a product that could record videos instantly and fit inside pockets. Plus, it was a much more affordable option than other cameras. When Pure Digital Technologies was purchased by Cisco Systems, the company discontinued the camera in 2011, signaling the end of an era.
Wrap Up
From the discontinuation of Apple’s headphone jacks to iPods, these products were once a part of our everyday lives. But with brands evolving throughout the years, we don’t realize that these products no longer exist. While technology has made our way of life more convenient, sometimes, doing things more manually reminds us of a simpler time.
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