Someone who “knows” antennas knows OLD antennas. Cracking it open isn’t going to reveal a 4 bay bowtie. There are 7 antennas all controlled electrically to establish waveform pattern locations. The old antennas are passive constructs that are simply metal bent one way or another. Evaluating metal bent into rows or circles is hardly expertise; in some cases a paper clip works or a coat hanger. This antenna is not about shaping metal in different ways.
This antenna is based on Wifi technology (beamforming) and has an embedded chip. It’s not just a row of metal rods. Who cares whether an antenna is a yagi or bowtie or whatever - these traditional antennas really all come down to metal rods bent this way or that way. An “antenna expert” who knows about 5 or 6 pieces of metal bent this way or that way hardly qualifies to judge new technology and techniques.
Most antenna experts at AV forums have never built an antenna and sit there looking at numbers on charts and models while dissuading anyone from doing anything except to buy expensive duds.
If you want to know what a beamforming adaptive antenna array looks like internally, go to YouTube and search for “beamforming adaptive antennas.” Plenty of videos, films and photos that show what they internally look like and how the are controlled by their chipset. With descriptions how they work. The CM Smartenna+ is based on these designs and architectures. It’s not a mystery what an adaptive antenna array looks like.
Best judge is if this thing does what it says and two people I’ve communicated with who have it say it does exactly what it says it does. For people in apartments or condos, this may be a lot better than their current flatwaves that sit there staring at the air…