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> There are several IoT products with manual fallback options on the market.

Name three.

Also, "manual fallback" is a cop-out. When I want manual operations, I don't go looking for home automation. The "smart" features should be available without Internet. There's nothing technically difficult about this, but it isn't being done because of abusive business practices.

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If you don't want an internet enabled device, then you are looking in the wrong place. The I in IoT stands for internet.

This is the crazy thing. IoT is actually advertising with a requirement, not a feature. Since when has "needs internet access to function" become a selling point?

>Since when has "needs internet access to function" become a selling point?

That is a good question. I don't know. But I'd say it became a selling point after the internet became ubiquitous and reliable enough in the eyes of consumers. Otherwise people would be complaining about 'needs internet access to watch a movie/make a video call/play a game/push source code/order food/call a taxi/etc/etc/etc".

That’s the point here though isn’t it? I don’t want the internet involved with turning the lights on when I have to get up at night.

I don't want the internet involved either, so we agree on that. Can we also agree that some people want internet enabled devices?

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