Over 57% of U.S. households now have at least one smart home device, according to Consumer Affairs. As connected gadgets become more common, so do concerns about how long they actually last – and how much it costs when they don’t.
With everything from thermostats to speakers and dishwashers getting “smart” features, consumers are learning that these products might stop working not because they break, but because companies phase out software support.
Consumers have general expectations as to a product’s lifespan, commonly called “service life.” The common anecdote is how appliances bought by our parents last for decades, only to be replaced by a new product that’s expected to be replaced only a handful of years after purchase. Analog sound systems would be expected to last half a lifetime with proper care. A thermostat installed during construction is still in the house when it’s sold decades later.
As appliances and other staples of modern living, like home speaker systems, are increasingly infused with digital interfaces and smart connections, those product lifespans become less about how long a purchase will work and more about how long the company is willing to support the technology. What can be an incremental annoyance can build up to a considerable added cost on American budgets to maintain.
Smart thermostats
In April, Google announced it would stop supporting three of its oldest Nest Learning Thermostats, each over a decade old. The company said it made the move to focus on advancing features in its newest models. Many states used federal Energy Star grants to incentivize the purchase of the more-advanced thermostats to lower power consumption.
Sonos has gradually phased out its early model speakers, telling customers that the older sound systems could no longer support the more advanced audio technology the company offered. This left early adopters of the Wi-Fi speakers with hundreds of dollars in speakers that would no longer show up on Sonos’ app.
Users recently ran into major problems after a software update temporarily disabled some newer speaker systems. While the devices weren’t permanently broken, the issues caused widespread frustration and led to the company’s CEO stepping down in January.
E-waste piling up
Experts say the bigger problem is what happens when these devices are no longer useful.
“It’s causing a lot of waste, and it’s harming consumers,” Lucas Gutterman, director of Public Interest Research Group’s Design to Last campaign, said. “We put out something called our Electronic Waste Graveyard… looking at over 100 products that lost software support or got new subscription fees that prevented basic features.”
PIRG estimates that 130 million pounds of e-waste has been created from devices that stopped working due to expired software or canceled cloud services since 2014. The list includes everything from Dell laptops to juicers and security cameras.
What happens to old tech?
A 2019 investigation by The Verge and the Basel Action Network tracked how e-waste is often exported to South Asia and Africa. Much of that waste is dismantled without proper safety measures, which can release airborne toxins like mercury.
Exporting e-waste overseas is not illegal in the U.S., but misrepresenting what is being shipped can break trade laws.
Gutterman notes that “none of the big brands are totally nailing this.”
He explains there are two sides to the issue: physical repairs, like replacing batteries, and software support. While companies like Apple offer software updates over a longer product lifespan, their devices can be difficult to open and fix.
Some smaller brands are trying a different approach.
“There’s some new brands that are coming up, like Framework laptops and Fairphone, that are designed to be repairable and designed to last,” Gutterman said.
Opposition to repair laws
Not everyone agrees with broad repair rights. TechNet, a trade group representing companies like Apple and Microsoft, warned Congress that repair laws could expose sensitive data.
“A national, one-size-fits-all repair rule would provide bad actors and unvetted third parties with sensitive diagnostic information and unrestricted access to proprietary information and trade secrets,” TechNet wrote in a 2023 letter to Congress.
More states take action
While a 2023 congressional hearing did not result in federal legislation, momentum is growing at the state level. As of February, all 50 states have introduced some form of right-to-repair bill, and 24 states have active legislation.
For Nest owners affected by the phase-out, Google said support for the three oldest models will end in October. The company is offering discounts on newer devices. As Sonos phases out its older speakers, the company offers a discount to buy new models.
In the meantime, experts suggest doing research before buying. PIRG offers a Failing to Fix guide that rates products on repairability and longevity, helping consumers make informed choices.
Gutterman says the goal is simple: “Really, what we are advocating for is just to return to the way things used to be – when you bought something, you owned it, and you could repair it, modify it, and use it for as long as you wanted.”
