it is still an electronic device that may break down or be maliciously altered by firmware you didn't properly verify, and you will lose everything it contained.
That doesn't make it any less of a cold wallet, though. Paper wallets can similarly be damaged or destroyed resulting in total loss.
No matter how expensive it may be, it is unlikely to outlive and outperform in terms of security a piece of paper or metal plate, which can store information written or etched on them indefinitely.
I agree, but that's not really relevant to what is considered a cold wallet. My completely airgapped laptop, which does not even have a WiFi module, Bluetooth module, etc. because I ripped them all out, is very much cold storage.
All things being equal, non-electronic media for storing information is safer than electronic; it is going to be more difficult for hackers to access them remotely, let alone maliciously alter them.
All things are not equal, though. Yes, completely non-electronic means will be safer for
storage, but at some point you will want to spend those coins, and the process of importing that seed phrase or private key introduces a number of risks which do not exist in my airgapped computer set up.
Don't get me wrong, I use both methods frequently, but I don't think it's right to say that only paper/metal back ups can really be considered cold wallets.
