The world is like that. Each year, new products and services appear, while others disappear. And as far as 2022 is concerned, there have been quite a few products that have retired (the crisis having not helped). Below, we have made a small non-exhaustive list of these products that will disappear in 2022, and that some of you may regret.
Stadia (Google) a promising product that has not been a hit
In 2018, Stadia was one of Google’s biggest launches. As a reminder, this is a cloud gaming platform that allowed you to play AAA titles on an average computer, on a smartphone, or even on a television without a console via Chromecast Ultra. 4 years ago, cloud gaming was the new trend in the video game market and Google saw it as an opportunity to make a name for itself in the industry.
Unfortunately, although the technology had enormous potential, Stadia did not have the expected success. And this year, when Google has to tighten its belt because of the crisis, it announced the premature end of Stadia. The end of Stadia was announced in September and the platform will be definitively buried in January: players will then no longer have access to their titles on this platform.
Hangouts, Android Auto for smartphones, YouTube Go
In 2022, we can say that Google has done a major cleaning. Indeed, if the end of Stadia was the bad surprise of the year, the Mountain View firm announced other closures, including that of Hangouts. This was predictable, since Google has been relying on other apps for messaging for years. But it was this year that Google finally ended what was left of Hangout.
As for Android Auto for smartphone screens, this is being replaced by a new feature called Google Assistant’s “Driving Mode”. As for YouTube Go, Google announced its closure in May. But why did Google decide to end support for this lite version of YouTube?
“When we launched YouTube Go in 2016, it was designed for viewers in places where connectivity, data prices and low-end devices prevented us from delivering the best experience in the main YouTube app”, recalls Google in its announcement. But currently, YouTube’s main app would perform better in these environments. And as a result, YouTube Go would no longer have any reason to exist.
Facebook: Portal, IGTV, Facebook Gaming
At Facebook too, many apps and products were closed in 2022. And among these apps, there is Facebook Gaming and IGTV. As a reminder, Facebook Gaming was a Facebook application dedicated to content related to video games. The end of this app was announced in August and if Facebook does not give the reasons for this decision, it is possible that it is linked to the reduction in costs announced by Mark Zuckerberg’s company. In any case, Facebook remains “determined to connect our community of gamers with the content they love” and a tab dedicated to video game content is still available on the Facebook app.
As for IGTV, it was a kind of YouTube equivalent launched by Instagram for long-form content. Its closure was announced earlier this year. In this announcement, Instagram recalls that it has already simplified the video experience on the app by merging IGTV and News Feed videos into a single format. In any case, the closure of IGTV is logical, insofar as the social network is now betting on its Reels format, which is inspired by short videos from TikTok.
Otherwise, on the hardware side, Facebook would have abandoned its Portal connected screens. As a reminder, these were products similar to Google’s Nest Hub and Amazon’s Echo Show. However, these connected screens have never really hit the mark. According to an article by The Verge, Facebook has decided to no longer develop new products for this brand. However, no official announcement has been made on the subject.
And at Apple?
Apple is one of the tech companies least affected by the macroeconomic context. Nevertheless, in 2022, we still witnessed the disappearance of the iPod. In a post published in May, the Cupertino company announced that the latest model, the iPod touch, would be available while supplies last.
“Today, the spirit of the iPod lives on. We’ve built an incredible music experience into all of our products, from iPhone to Apple Watch to HomePod mini, and on Mac, iPad and Apple TV. And Apple Music delivers industry-leading sound quality with support for spatial audio – there’s no better way to enjoy, discover and experience music.”nevertheless assured Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of global marketing.
Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer retire
Was it a surprise? In October, Microsoft retired the Office brand. The products you use every day, like Word or Excel will continue to exist. However, the office suite that contains these apps becomes Microsoft 365, instead of Microsoft Office. “Over the past two years, Microsoft 365 has become our flagship productivity suite, so we’re creating an experience to help you get the most out of Microsoft 365. In the coming months, Office.com, the Office mobile app and Office app for Windows will become the Microsoft 365 app, with a new icon, a new look and even more features”explained Microsoft.
Microsoft Office retires after 32 years of loyal service https://t.co/tvhNklmemc pic.twitter.com/7dh0ANDmqH
— Cyril Bladier (@businesson_line) October 14, 2022
The end of Internet Explorer is less surprising. Indeed, Microsoft already has a modern browser, Microsoft Edge. And thanks to Google’s Chromium technology, it can show comparable performance to Chrome. However, the demise of Internet Explorer has taken time, as the old browser is used by companies whose tools depend on old technologies. Moreover, to support these companies in their transitions, Microsoft still offers an “Internet Explorer mode” on Microsoft Edge.
BlackBerry, is it really over?
It’s been years since the BlackBerry company sold smartphones. However, years after BlackBerry exited the smartphone market, the Canadian company continued to provide updates to users of devices running its BlackBerry OS operating system. But unfortunately, in January 2022, BlackBerry ended this support for products running BlackBerry 7.1 OS, BlackBerry 10, as well as BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1. Today, the company focuses on its security solutions.
As for smartphones branded BlackBerry (Android), but manufactured and sold by other companies, they also belong to the past. A company, called OnwardMobility, had planned to take over the “BlackBerry” license (abandoned by TCL) and release a new smartphone under this brand. But unfortunately, the project was abandoned in early 2022.
This list was not exhaustive, if you know of other products or services that disappeared in 2022, do not hesitate to mention them in the comments.
