I mean, say, you want a really nice camera, or a drone, or maybe a gaming laptop, and since those things are made in China, they are too expensive to buy right now in the US, since tariffs are over 100%. So you just go to Canada, buy the thing, unpack it from the packaging, and pretend like its just personal items. Just like a smartphone.
AFIAK, border agents usually don’t ask if you bought your phone in the US or from outside, they shouldn’t ask about other personal electronics, right?
They will definitely ask if you purchased anything. You can lie but if you get caught expect little to no leniency.
Can you get away with it? Probably, for some stuff. Is it worth it? You’re rolling some dice, you decide.