The smart home graveyard is getting crowded

The smart home industry is facing a growing crisis as more connected devices become obsolete, leaving consumers with expensive, non-functional hardware. A decade ago, the promise of the 'Internet of Things' suggested a seamless, interconnected future. However, the reality has been defined by a cycle of rapid product abandonment, where companies shutter cloud services or go out of business, effectively 'bricking' devices that were once central to the home. This trend highlights the inherent fragility of relying on cloud-dependent hardware. As manufacturers prioritize new sales over long-term support, the 'smart home graveyard' continues to expand. This newsletter explores the implications of this planned obsolescence, questioning the sustainability of a model where a device's lifespan is tethered to a company's server uptime. Consumers are increasingly left to deal with the electronic waste and the frustration of losing functionality in products they once trusted for daily convenience.