I disagree with your point about quality, but I'll indulge you for the sake of discussion. Given the choice between "lower quality" that will always work, or convenient-until-inevitably-bricked, I'll always advocate for the former.
The question was about when they ask for a smart device specifically. Not when they ask for a dumb device. My comparison is NOT between smart vs non smart devices.
Sorry, I wasn't particularly clear. When someone asks me about smart devices, e.g. a washing machine, I really pressure them about why they need it to be smart, and encourage them to go dumb.
