We have a Verizon hotspot for our RV. It is so handy to have. One day it just stopped connecting. I tried all sorts of fixes but nothing worked so had to buy a new one. It was just over two years old. Sometimes I think these devices are timed to turn into paperweights after two years or so.
I think you’re right.
I had a nice Sony tv 6 yrs old that had a failed circuit board and no replacement parts sold.
Via eBay I actually found a guy in Cincinnati who fixes the boards for 40 bucks, so I went for it and it’s worked for a couple years now. But that’s a rare thing these days.