US Fair Trade Commission a 89 percent of connected devices do not detail how long the found item will receive software support. The study examined product websites looking for specific information about how long the company expects to support the device. On 11 percent of product sites that shared this information, the study found inconsistencies where cases and dates were listed in unclear language. As a second test, the researchers ran basic Google searches for information on support dates and couldn’t find a quick answer for 67 percent of the devices.
“Consumers stand to lose a lot of money if smart products stop offering the features they want,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “When shopping for smart devices, consumers should ask questions and consider how long their products will last.”
The 89 percent number sounds like a pretty damning rate, but there’s a big caveat to this study. The FTC looked at only 184 products, and they fell into many categories. The review excluded laptops, PCs, tablets and cars, but any other “connected device” was covered. So while the real percentages are foggier than this report implies, it’s still a good idea for the FTC to review continued product support.
It’s becoming more common for smartphone manufacturers to say in advance how long they’ll support a device; for example, Samsung will update the S24 line . A wave of right-to-repair laws have recently been passed in several states may also indicate longer lifetimes for the hardware. However, this practice has clearly not extended to all personal and home technologies. Today’s FTC article doesn’t recommend any action on the topic, but it does emphasize the need to set expectations for how and when companies will offer support for their software-driven products.
