Millions of dollars of work to theoretically save the user on a $10 HDMI cable (but, more honestly, just to make consumers buy new TVs every couple of years regardless of whether they need one or not, simply because the "smart" unit is out-of-date). Sometimes this industry needs a boot to the head.
It's 2019 - this is a solution in search of a problem.
Meanwhile I'm not sure I've even had roommates or been to someone's house my age (25-40) in the last 5 years that had cable service. It's always the same: everyone just navigates to the TV's built-in Netflix/HBO/Amazon/etc. app and puts something on.
If you think everyone in the world has a cable box, then I understand why you don't understand smart TVs. But your premise is mistaken.
But part of the purpose of having a smart TV is that you don’t need cable.
I don't buy the bit about needing to upgrade the TV on some schedule since there's always the option to buy an external apparatus (like a cable box) which are almost always faster with better UI than the TV anyways.
Not sure what you are talking about. Smart TV do mean not having to have a separate device to do streaming such as Netflix.