Let's take cars. Is it "simple" to have one tablet on the dashboard for all controls? Or having physical buttons for commonly used functions is actually the "simple" option?
There are two people involved in this scenario: the car driver and the car manufacturer. For the car driver, physical buttons are simpler (less cognitive load and safer to operate). For the car manufacturer, a single tablet is simpler (less manufacturing complexity and cheaper).
EDIT. I forgot with the Right to Repair issue, there is a third person, the neighborhood general mechanic. With physical controls, the mechanic is more likely to be able to repair the broken switch/electrical relay. With the tablet, the mechanic cannot.
EDIT. I forgot with the Right to Repair issue, there is a third person, the neighborhood general mechanic. With physical controls, the mechanic is more likely to be able to repair the broken switch/electrical relay. With the tablet, the mechanic cannot.