Can we talk about how many smart home gadgets just stop working after a few years?

I was reading a report from a tech repair shop in Seattle last week, and they said that on average, a smart plug or light bulb from a major brand only gets software updates for about two years after it stops being sold. After that, it might just brick itself or lose connection. I have a couple of those early wifi plugs from 2019 that are now basically useless paperweights because the app won't even recognize them anymore. It's not like they broke, the company just decided to stop supporting them. It makes me really hesitant to buy into any new smart home ecosystem now. What's the point if it's designed to fail? Has anyone found a brand that actually promises longer support, or are we all just accepting that our gadgets have an expiration date?

3 comments

3 Comments

gibson.morgan6d ago

My old smart thermostat became a dumb brick last month (same story).

-1

paulw536d ago

My neighbor's smart fridge did the same thing last week. It feels like everything is built to fail just after the warranty ends, gibson.morgan. We're just renting this stuff until it breaks.

ivan_murphy806d ago

But is it really that big of a deal?