Unfortunately the newer ones have also had a somewhat higher failure rate than other more expensive brands. It’s not super high, maybe 10 or 12% and it seems to usually happen about six months after they come out of warranty. This means they’re not technically “defective” since the warranty is over. This has nothing to do with SmartThings, you’ll find the same reports on other forums.
Because the GE switches are often much cheaper than other brands, many people feel it’s worth it even if they have to replace 10% of the switches after a couple of years; they still saved money overall.