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PSA: Check the firmware on your smart plugs before you buy them
I was reading a review for the Tapo P125 smart plug on a tech blog yesterday, and the guy said his unit just stopped responding after a year because the company stopped updating its firmware. He had to throw it out. That got me thinking about how many of these cheap gadgets are basically disposable if the maker stops supporting them. Has anyone else had a smart home device just brick itself like that?
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grantthomas6mo ago
My smart plug's firmware update history is just a single sad entry.
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the_olivia6mo ago
Yeah, "basically disposable" is the perfect way to put it. I've got a smart plug that's now just a very expensive nightlight because it won't connect anymore. It really makes you feel like a chump for buying into the whole thing.
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christopher3856mo ago
That "feeling like a chump" part hits hard. I used to defend these gadgets, saying the convenience was worth it. Watching a perfectly good plug turn into a brick because an app stopped working, that changed my mind. Now I just see a pile of future e-waste every time I walk past the electronics aisle.
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