Google likely pays for them to do so,
since then they can embed telemetry/spyware into the monitor and collect data about your usage, which they’ll sell to advertisement companies and give to law enforcement if requested.
I absolutely hate it already.
Same as I hate that you can’t buy non-smart TVs anymore for the same reason…
I used to block telemetry network wide using a PiHole, and the smart TV of one of my room mates made up 2/3th of the network requests after setting it up, before it realized that it’s telemetry connection was unavailable.
Strongly recommend to keep these devices completely offline, and instead buy a RPi or something of the likes to flash a privacy respecting Android TV fork onto it, e.g. LineageOS.
However it does frustrate me that the licensing costs of these unwanted spyware products, which I’ll refuse to use, are pushed upon the user, with nearly no ability remaining to buy a device that ships without it…
I guess a some people use monitors with laptops as a dock. Nowadays with a single usb c to the monitor can charge the device and recieve video signals. For them the monitor is still usable as something, even if the laptop is not there.
So I see some people might benefit from this, but it doesn’t seem like a very useful feature for the masses. Other manufacturers’ also had similar monitors, fortunately it’s not very common, I remember LG had one last year:
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25815906/HP_Omen_32x_Render.png)
Why? In a TV that serves a purpose. You no longer need any other set top box, dongle, or other device to use the TV.
With a monitor you’re already hooking it up to another device that can do that functionality, basically by definition.
There is zero reason for this to exist.
To increase their revenue.
Google likely pays for them to do so,
since then they can embed telemetry/spyware into the monitor and collect data about your usage, which they’ll sell to advertisement companies and give to law enforcement if requested.
I absolutely hate it already.
Same as I hate that you can’t buy non-smart TVs anymore for the same reason…
I used to block telemetry network wide using a PiHole, and the smart TV of one of my room mates made up 2/3th of the network requests after setting it up, before it realized that it’s telemetry connection was unavailable.
Strongly recommend to keep these devices completely offline, and instead buy a RPi or something of the likes to flash a privacy respecting Android TV fork onto it, e.g. LineageOS.
However it does frustrate me that the licensing costs of these unwanted spyware products, which I’ll refuse to use, are pushed upon the user, with nearly no ability remaining to buy a device that ships without it…
I guess a some people use monitors with laptops as a dock. Nowadays with a single usb c to the monitor can charge the device and recieve video signals. For them the monitor is still usable as something, even if the laptop is not there.
So I see some people might benefit from this, but it doesn’t seem like a very useful feature for the masses. Other manufacturers’ also had similar monitors, fortunately it’s not very common, I remember LG had one last year:
https://www.lg.com/sg/about-lg/press-and-media/lg-unveils-myview-4k-smart-monitors-at-ces-2024/