Nest thermostat gets new look
Bigger screen?
Check.
Thinner design?
Check.
Updates on possible furnace problems?
Check, too.
Nest Labs on Tuesday released its third-generation learning thermostat, with a new look and features. The screen is 40 percent larger and has a higher resolution. "It gives it a really nice display look," said company customer products spokeswoman Zoz Cuccias, adding that the new product design will "spice it up a little bit."
Palo Alto-based Nest, purchased by Google for $3.2 billion in 2014, touts that its learning thermostat can save consumers 10 to 12 percent on heating bills and about 15 percent on cooling bills. Cuccias said the new design carries the same energy-saving software but does not add new features to improve efficiency.
The device adapts to user preferences and programs itself. Users can control room temperatures through their phones, laptops and tablets and receive safety alerts and energy reports.
The new thermostat has a "furnace heads-up" feature that tracks shutoff patterns in the heating and cooling system. Users will be notified of unusual shutoff patterns. The feature will also be introduced to earlier generation thermostats.
The device sells for $249 at Nest.com, BestBuy.com and Amazon.com. Cuccias said brick-and-mortar outlets, including various department and home improvement stores, will be selling the device in the next month. The company is also discounting its remaining second-generation thermostats to $199.
Senior analyst Brian Weiser of Pivotal Research Group said Nest Labs accounts for a very small amount of Google's business.
In June, the company announced it was refreshing its entire product line, which includes a home camera and smoke detector. The devices are designed to work in concert, focusing on home safety and environment. The thermostat, for example, can shut off a furnace when smoke or carbon dioxide is detected.
©2015 San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
