Loading…
3
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?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
the_susan2mo ago
My neighbor went through the exact same thing with a smart lock last month. It just stopped accepting new codes and the app gave him a "device not supported" error one morning. I have two of those old TP-Link plugs from 2018 sitting in a drawer right now that did the same thing around the two year mark. It's honestly wild to me that we're all just supposed to be okay with spending $30-$50 on something that is basically a disposable product. That whole "renting" idea from paulw53 really hits home because it does feel like we're just leasing this stuff until the company decides to pull the plug.
1
gibson.morgan5mo ago
My old smart thermostat became a dumb brick last month (same story).
-1
paulw535mo 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.
6