Smart Home technology (connected lights, thermostats, locks, cameras via app/voice control) promised convenience but delivered fragmentation nightmare. Competing ecosystems (Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings) made interoperability painful. Privacy concerns, hacking vulnerabilities, and subscription creep (Nest, Ring) dampened enthusiasm. Matter protocol (2022) aimed to fix fragmentation, but smart home remained hobbyist domain rather than mainstream necessity.
Sources: Smart Home Market Reports, IoT Security Studies