My new smart doorbell bricked itself after a routine firmware update last Tuesday

I installed this thing back in March, and it was fine until last week. The app said there was a firmware update, so I hit install like I always do. The progress bar got stuck at 90% for an hour, then the whole unit just went dark and unresponsive. I tried the hard reset button, I pulled the power for a full day, nothing. It's just a dead piece of plastic on my wall now. Customer support basically said it's a known bug with that update and I need a replacement unit, which is backordered for 6 weeks. I'm stuck watching my porch through a peephole like it's 1995. Has anyone else had a gadget completely die from a simple software update, or is it just my luck?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew8546d ago

I read a tech blog last week that said firmware updates are the number one cause of smart home device failures now. They push these updates out without enough testing, and if the install gets interrupted, the whole thing is toast. It happened to my mom's smart thermostat last winter, same deal, stuck update and a brick. It's so frustrating because you're just trying to keep the thing secure and working. I mean, you do the right thing and it punishes you.

the_margaret6d ago

Wasn't that supposed to be the whole point of updates? I always figured they were just necessary maintenance, but bricking your mom's thermostat is a pretty strong argument against automatic pushes. Guess the cure can be worse than the disease.