Top 5 Mobile Tech Flops of 2011

2011 saw great tech leaps as well as flops. Here are top 5 mobile phone tech glitches:

Apple's Siri

Siri tops the list in the UK. The voice-controlled virtual assistant Siri made waves on the iPhone 4S in the U.S. It did an impressive job translating voice commands into text, auto-dial numbers and look up information for the user.

However, in the UK, it could barely interpret the British accent and completely failed in providing accurate information, let alone respond appropriately to user's voice commands.

Adding to the misery, there have been reports of abuse. In an incident at Tesco, Coventry in the UK, a 12-year-old boy had apparently posed a question to Siri (on an iPhone 4S): "How many people are there in the world?" and bang came the response: "Shut the f*** up, you ugly t***." Reports indicated someone tampering with the phone's instructions had modified the phone user's name with the swear words and Apple had failed to plug some security holes in the software.

Reliance In Motion (RIM)

Next in the flop hotlist is Reliance In Motion (RIM), as Blackberry Mobiles drew flak for its outdated designs, accusations of triggering riots in London and poor spec sheets. It was then followed by the uninspiring BBX fiasco and a forgettable stint with the Blackberry Playbook release.

iPhone 4S and Nokia Lumia 800 Battery Flaw

Then we have the iPhone 4S and Nokia Lumia 800 battery flaw. The incredibly short battery life issue on these smartphones has apparently been linked to a bug in their respective software.

Undesirable Gingerbread update for HTC Desire

Move on to the controversial Gingerbread update for HTC Desire. Reports from across the HTC user community indicated a forgettable experience with the promised Gingerbread update (Android 2.3). HTC had initially announced the release of update to its Desire users and then unreasonably withdrew its own statement.

It then came up with an excuse saying it was not at all possible, and finally rolled out the update much to the dismay of users. The download at the website was available with a clause stating: "Download at your own risk". True to its warning, the update failed to do any good, as it inadvertently wiped out the phone's internal memory of apps, emails, and text immediately after the installation.

Apple's iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S has failed to meet fan expectations as it borrowed much of its design concept from its predecessor iPhone 4. Apple fans had been expecting a larger screen with a multitude of features on the iphone 4S. But all they got was an upgraded processor and an unreliable Siri in the bargain.

Apparently, the fans have been left wanting in terms of better camera, interface and bigger and better display alongside a superior battery. The release of iPhone 5 might be the answer to all the limitations of the iPhone 4S.