Which “Smart Telescope AP 50/250”? A web search on that term shows the Vespera II (https://www.apm-telescopes.net/en/86732-smart-telescope-ap-50250-vespera-ii-x-edition) and the ZWO Seestar S50 (https://www.astroshop.eu/telescopes/zwo-smart-telescope-ap-50-250-seestar-s50-with-universe2go-/p,84933). The latter is much cheaper and I own one myself.
The S50 most certainly can be used for scientific research as well as the canonical “pretty picture” field which is where most of the marketing is targeted. Precision photometry down to around 15th magnitude is possible with reasonable exposure times. Transformation coefficients to convert from its G channel to Johnson V are available. A 15 minute exposure seems to show a detection limit (SNR ~4, so useless for photometry) of around 17th magnitude.
https://astrobackyard.com/seestar-s50-review/ gives some detail but I don’t know how much more than that you want.
Very much not a piece of junk, IMAO.
Paul