Nothing lasts forever, especially in the world of technology. Technologies, services, and CEOs regularly phase out as new ones emerge and big companies race to remain at the forefront of innovation. In this report, we highlight significant technologies and services that came to an end in the year 2023.
January:
- Microsoft Discontinues Updates for Windows 7 and 8
Microsoft decided to stop providing security updates for its Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 operating systems, recommending users upgrade to Windows 11 to take advantage of updates and features.
- Snap Inc. Shuts Down Its Desktop Camera App
Snapchat announced it would be closing its desktop camera app, which allowed users to apply filters – like cat ears and pirate hats – to video calls. The company did not specify the reason for shelving the app. Users will no longer be able to download or use Snap Camera.
Snap Inc. shut down its desktop camera application (Shutterstock)
February:
- Amazon Shuts Down Amazon Smile
Amazon decided to shut down its Amazon Smile service to focus its charitable efforts on programs with a more significant impact. Launched in 2013, the service made it easy for customers to support their favorite charities. However, after nearly a decade, the program did not achieve the impact Amazon had hoped for. With many more qualified organizations worldwide, Amazon Smile's ability to make a difference was often too weak, leading to its cessation.
March:
- Google Abandons Its Glasses
In March, Google announced it would no longer sell its Glass Enterprise Edition and would continue to support the FAQ about its product until September 15, 2023. These glasses suffered from myriad issues, including a short battery life, privacy concerns, and a high price of $1,500, making them undesirable among users.
- Lenovo Stops Business in Gaming Phones
Having carved a niche in gaming smartphones, Lenovo backed out of the gaming phone field entirely in March 2023, as reported by "Android Authority."
A company spokesperson said, "Lenovo has stopped producing mobile gaming phones as part of a comprehensive business transformation and integration of the gaming portfolio. As a leader in gaming devices and solutions, we focus on evolving the gaming category across different forms and focusing on the areas where we can deliver the most value to the global gaming community."
Lenovo concludes its business regarding gaming smartphones (Reuters)
- Meta Ends the Run of Non-Fungible Tokens on Facebook and Instagram
Meta decided to stop testing the issuance and sale of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Instagram and also cease users' ability to share them on both Facebook and Instagram.
According to a study by DappRadar, the overwhelming majority of NFTs have become worthless. Out of 73,257 collections, 69,795 are worth 0 Ethereum (ETH), equivalent to $0. This means 95% of NFT collection holders currently hold investments with no value.
Data revealed that the weekly trading volume in 2023 was around $80 million, only 3% of its peak in August 2021, indicating a challenging year for NFT owners in 2023.
April:
- Amazon Ends Amazon Halo
Amazon announced that it would permanently discontinue support for the Amazon Halo service, looking for new ideas to delight its customers. However, Amazon stated it would refund customers who purchased a Halo product in the past 12 months completely. Additionally, any unused and paid subscription fees would be refunded.
- Spotify Shuts Down Its Music Guessing Game
Spotify, the music streaming platform, announced that it would close its music guessing game, Heardle, inspired by the word game Wordle. The company is looking to focus on other goals regarding music discovery, saying, "Thanks to Heardle for the good times, but sadly we must say goodbye. As of May 5th, Heardle will no longer be available."
June:
- Amazon Stops Celebrity Voices in Alexa
Amazon decided to discontinue celebrity voices in Alexa, where customers could no longer purchase voices like Samuel L. Jackson and Shaquille O'Neal, and Amazon would stop supporting them on Alexa devices.
Although Amazon did not provide a reason for the removal, reports of substantial losses in revenue around the voice assistant and thousands of layoffs by Amazon this year may be the cause.
- Reddit Platform Closes Its Apollo App
Apollo, one of the most beloved apps for iPhone users, was shut down due to the new API's cost by the company, making it far more expensive to run the app. Developer Christian Selig stated on Reddit's blog, "The recent decisions and actions by Reddit have made it impossible for Apollo to continue."
- Microsoft Stops Support for Cortana
Microsoft ended the Cortana app and redirected users to its new features, such as Bing Chatbot and Copilot, in its place. Shuttering Cortana marked the end of Microsoft's attempt to compete with Siri and Google Assistant in the voice assistant field.
Cortana could not withstand the competition with Siri and Google Assistant, leading to Microsoft's abandonment. (Social Media)
- YouTube Stories Are No More
Do not confuse "YouTube Stories" with "Short Videos." Stories were launched in 2017 for YouTube users with more than 10,000 subscribers.
Google said there are many ways to create videos on YouTube, from community posts to short and long videos and live videos. To prioritize these core features, Stories will vanish from YouTube.
July:
- Twitter No Longer Exists, Replaced by 'X'
Billionaire Elon Musk unveiled a new logo for the social media platform "Twitter," characterized by a white 'X' on a black background, as an alternative to the familiar blue bird symbol.
Musk stated he wanted to change Twitter's logo, polling his millions of followers on whether they preferred the site's color scheme changed from blue to black. Thus, the historical and distinctive name "Twitter" ended in 2023, transitioning into 'X.'
End of the blue bird "Twitter" after a prominent presence in the social media landscape (Shutterstock)
- Google Abandons Android KitKat 4.4
Google announced the definitive end of the Android KitKat 4.4 operating system after nearly ten years from its release. Google said that the active devices on KitKat systems account for less than 1%, so it stopped supporting this system in future Google Play services releases.
August:
- Meta Abandons Messenger Lite
In 2016, Facebook (now Meta) released the Messenger Lite app for older Android devices. Messenger Lite was designed to be light on devices, providing a simple set of chat features, promising to work even on slow or unstable connections.
After seven years, even low-spec Android devices now have plenty of storage and memory to handle better versions of the Lite apps, prompting Meta to close Messenger Lite and encourage the transition to the full-fledged Messenger app.
Meta company closed Messenger Lite, encouraging users to switch to the full Messenger application (Al Jazeera)
- Meta Ends SMS Support in Messenger
Meta announced that Android users using SMS in Messenger would lose this feature on September 29th. The company clarified users could continue to send and receive text messages via their cellular network and access these messages' history through their phone's new default messaging app.
September:
- Microsoft Decides to End WordPad
Microsoft announced that it plans to discontinue the "WordPad" program with a future Windows update, after 28 years since its launch, though it has not specified a timeline for this change.
"WordPad" was pre-installed by default on computers operating on Windows since the release of Windows 95. It provides users with a basic word processor and document editor.
- Google Cancels Support for YouTube Premium Lite
Google declared its decision to cancel the "Premium Lite" subscription plan on YouTube, which cost 6.99 euros per month. Current "Premium Lite" subscribers will have two options: return to watching YouTube with ads or subscribe to the more expensive "YouTube Premium." This decision took effect on the past 25th of November.
- Apple's Lightning Ports Are No Longer in Devices
Apple's exclusive devices featuring Lightning ports are a thing of the past, due to the European Parliament passing legislation forcing all smartphones and tablets to be compatible with charging ports and adopt the Type-C port. Consequently, iPhone 15 and AirPods Pro were released with USB-C ports, with a gradual phase-out planned for the Lightning port.
The Lightning ports, exclusive to iPhone devices, are no more (Shutterstock)
- Google Podcast App
Google decided to close the "Google Podcast" app early next year (2024), focusing the company's podcast listening efforts on YouTube Music. "Google Podcast" was first launched on Android systems in 2018.
October:
- Intuit Discontinues the Personal Finance App Mint
With the onset of the new year 2024, users will no longer be able to use Intuit's personal finance app Mint, as the tool will cease operations, transitioning its users to Credit Karma service.
While Mint was one of the best personal finance budget tracking apps on the market, features like the unified display of financial accounts, transaction tracking, spending reports, and cash flow and net worth estimations will be available in Credit Karma.
- Apple Stops Selling 13-inch MacBook Pros
Apple discontinued the manufacture of 13-inch MacBook Pros, which were suitable for people on a tighter budget. The new MacBook Pro devices will be available with 14-inch screens and M3 processors, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro is no longer available for sale.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro is no longer available for sale (Getty Images)
November:
- Apple Discontinues Music Voice Service
Apple announced the cancellation of the Music Voice feature, stating, "We are focusing on providing the best and most robust music experience possible for our customers, with features like immersive spatial audio, Apple Music Sing with live lyrics, intuitive browsing and discovery features, and more.
- Google Stops Support for Google Chrome and Google Calendar in Android 7 and Older
Both Google Chrome and the Calendar app will require at least Android 8 to operate, and users of Android 7 Nougat and older versions will not be able to run them. Devices running Android 7 or earlier will start seeing notifications indicating that their current Android version is unsupported and that an upgrade is necessary to continue their use.
December:
- Bose Frames Are No Longer Available
Bose dived into augmented reality glasses in 2018 with Bose Frames, transforming sunglasses into a wearable audio device. User feedback showed that they provided clear and crisp sound through a sleek, classic design. However, ultimately, Bose admitted defeat, shutting down near the end of 2023 without detailing the reasons.
- Microsoft Ends Its Mixed Reality Platform on Windows
Microsoft planned to remove the Mixed Reality platform from its operating system in its upcoming Windows release, believing that the official acknowledgment of the platform's exit will attract attention and be considered by enthusiasts as another nail in the coffin of the software giant's consumer game division.
- Hyperloop One Shuts Down After Failing to Revolutionize Transportation
"Hyperloop One" was one of the most famous futuristic transportation companies building enclosed tube lines to transport passengers and goods from one city to another at airplane-like speeds. However, after spending hundreds of millions of dollars over the years without sufficient results, the company announced it would close at the end of 2023.
