I swear somebody should come in with an appliance brand which literally just builds things like they did 40 years ago before planned obsolescence and smart technology.
They would clean up.
I think the only thing that's actually improved is energy efficiency. But honestly my favorite appliances are my super old washer and dryer. I don't care that they are less energy efficient. Easy to use, nothing breaks and they have lasted forever.
It seems that they're all focused extremely precisely on tiny efficiency gains in standardised tests and stuffing in unwanted hostile "smartness" at the expense of longevity and simplicity. At least the former is mostly due to regulations; and there have been some good changes recently in that area, although it's hard to tell whether they'll have any effect: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43065757
They would clean up.
I think the only thing that's actually improved is energy efficiency. But honestly my favorite appliances are my super old washer and dryer. I don't care that they are less energy efficient. Easy to use, nothing breaks and they have lasted forever.