While I’m sure they’re cutting build quality to make them cheaper, the “unnecessary tech” isn’t some cutting edge high tech stuff requiring high R&D costs that would make them “astronomically expensive”
If they wanted to they could literally replicate everything they’re doing with a 60$ raspberry pi and just interface it with the existing controller boards and call it a day.
Even this article about the fridge is just an (admittedly fairly large screen) tablet.