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Nest as a brand is noteworthy almost entirely thanks to the Nest Learning Thermostat. This curvy thermostat made waves when it launched more than a decade ago, eventually leading to the company’s acquisition by Google. After rolling out some substandard Nest devices, Google now appears poised to release a new flagship Nest thermostat, the 4th Gen Learning Thermostat. It’s got a more refined design, along with similarly streamlined temperature sensors.
The 4th Gen Nest was first tipped in an FCC filing earlier this year, but a new leak includes images and promo materials for Google Nest’s new thermostat. This smart home gadget is a long-awaited successor to the 2015 3rd Gen Learning Thermostat, not the cheaper Nest Thermostat released in 2020. It looks the part, too.
The new thermostat appears in marketing material for an updated temperature sensor. These devices simply relay temperatures from different areas to the thermostat, which can use those readings instead of its internal sensor. The 4th Gen Thermostat is still round, with a larger display that blends cleanly into the bezel. Reports also suggest it will have presence sensing via a Soli radar module, which was also used in the 2020 entry-level thermostat and the ill-fated Google Pixel 4.
The arrival of a new high-end thermostat could be a sign Google is taking smart home seriously again. For a company that works so hard to be integral to people’s lives, Google has done a terrible job of leveraging its smart home portfolio. It acquired Nest in 2014 for $3.2 billion, releasing some impressive home automation and security hardware under the brand, not the least of which was the 3rd Gen Nest Learning Thermostat. However, Google’s subsequent Nest releases were cheaper and less capable, and those products have languished with missing features and the same old bugs ever since.
Core to Google’s smart home confusion is the move from the dedicated Nest app to Google Home, which was repurposed from the husk of the original Chromecast app. Many of Google’s older Nest devices are not fully supported in Google Home, limiting the features and integrations with newer devices. Replacing the aging but still excellent 3rd Gen Learning Thermostat would give Google the opportunity to properly integrate advanced features into the app it wants everyone to use.
One of the leaked images shows a new, more expansive screen for the Nest thermostat inside the Home app. The current Learning Thermostat only has a few basic capabilities in that app, with most of its functionality still inside the Nest app.
The leak notes that the new temperature sensors could cost $39 each or $99 for a three-pack. There’s no speculation on the 4th Gen Nest Learning Thermostat price, but it won’t be cheap. The basic 2020 model is $130, and the previous Learning Thermostat launched at $250.