Logitech Pop smart home buttons to become e-waste as support ends

[Alfonso Maruccia]

The takeaway: Proponents of smart home devices and automation have long promised a world of capabilities through internet-connected products. Logitech is now reminding users that cloud services rarely last more than a few years, and that it's often wiser to choose devices that can be controlled locally.

Logitech's Pop buttons for smart home automation will soon become completely useless e-waste. The company released the devices less than a decade ago but is now abandoning early adopters, claiming the market and technology have outpaced the product.

The Swiss manufacturer introduced Pop buttons as programmable switches capable of performing various smart home actions. Customers could use Pop to load lighting presets, control music playlists, and run other smart home devices connected to their local Wi-Fi network. The Pop Home Switch Starter Pack initially sold for $100, with each additional Pop button priced at $40.

From October 15, Logitech's Pop buttons will simply stop working. The company notified customers via email a few days ago, stating that the product and its ecosystem were being discontinued.

The Pop buttons will lose all functionality, Logitech said, because they rely on internet servers that the company no longer wants to maintain. To "thank" its loyal customers, the company is offering a 15 percent discount on select products purchased through its online store.

Some users and home automation enthusiasts are reacting by boycotting devices that depend on proprietary apps or cloud services.

The primary reason behind the Pop switch discontinuation likely stems from Logitech's own business priorities. The company gradually lost interest in smart home products over the past few years, despite significant investments in the market early on. It's unclear how many people are still using the buttons.

More recently, Logitech CEO Hanneke Faber proposed a "Forever Mouse" concept, sold as a service with users paying a monthly subscription for additional features or updates. Judging from how the company handled the Pop smart home line, this could be a risky way for a PC enthusiast to spend their money.

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Logitech Pop smart home buttons to become e-waste as support ends

 

[RudyBob]

There is more e waste in closets than most can imagine

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Oh look more suckers who bought trinkets that mandate internet access caught totally off guard when said devices become doorstops. Will wonders never cease!

 

[passwordistaco]

I'll never forgive Logitech for what they did to Harmony.

 

[messy]

Hopefully this will wake just a few more people to controlling their systems - if it's reaching out to the Internet to flip a light switch in your house 20 feet from you, you're not controlling your system.
stop being such a consumer, start controlling your experience

 

[SRB]

We bought a bluetooth touch lock from Kwikset, Kevo. While we never bought the internet connectivity,and it only operated locally between the phone and the lock, after about 10 years they announced that they were going to pull the plug on the app two weeks ago. They offered a $100 discount on a cloud operated internet lock. Wonder how long before that goes south too.

You'd think the could make a system with room to add features and grow rather than trash it every time some new "feature" comes along.

 

[3ogdy]

Boy, is this a cautionary tale.

Imagine something like this happening to a network of devices used throughout the house. Say something like TP-Link's Kasa, Google stuff, or similar.

That thing going down would take a whole range of products, that depend on its networking capabilities, down with it.

These things really need to work at least as long as non-smart versions. That is, basically forever.

Logitech Harmony was another mess.
It's almost as if manufacturers enjoyed forcing planned obsolescence down our throats, which couldn't ever possibly happen.

Smart this, smart that, I guess we gotta be smart humans about this. There are people who designed their homes from scratch based on automation and networks. This is crazy.

 

[Puiu]

I really like smart homes, but everything must be done locally. No cloud BS for important things.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I really like smart homes, but everything must be done locally. No cloud BS for important things.

You know what we call a SMART home that controls everything with switches that dont need technology?

Homes. We call those homes.

 

[JMGuy]

I really like smart homes, but everything must be done locally. No cloud BS for important things.

100% this.

Home Assistant is pretty solid: https://www.home-assistant.io/

Supports a huge number of third party devices and I fully control its internet access. Highly recommend if you like your automation-tech but want local control.

 

[Puiu]

You know what we call a SMART home that controls everything with switches that dont need technology?

Homes. We call those homes.

Being able to open my phone and turn on/off the heating, cleaning robot or AC while I'm away is awesome. I also have a door sensor that tells me when somebody opens the door.

I'll probably do the same for the lights because I sometimes forget them on when I'm in a hurry.