Company adds bigger, better display and furnace diagnostics
Nest Labs launched its third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, adding a larger higher-resolution and the ability to detect furnace problems.
The $249-suggested device also adds an updated user interface and slimmer profile to protrude less from the wall.
The Wi-Fi-equipped thermostat is available at Nest.com, Amazon.com and BestBuy.com and will come soon to Best Buy Stores, Google Store, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Target and Verizon Wireless.
The device will also be available through 25,000 Nest Pro installers and energy and service-provider companies such as Southern Company, Direct Energy, SunEdison, Infinite Energy, Reliant, and ADT. The energy companies will offer the thermostat at a discounted price or at no cost to help consumers save energy, Nest said.
Meantime, the price of the second-generation model has been cut to $199 at select retailers while supplies last.
On the new model, Nest increased the color- display size by 40 percent to 2.08 inches in diameter and added 25 percent more pixels per inch at 229, allowing users to view the 480-by-480 display from across the room. Using a new feature called Farsight, the display wakes up when it senses movement anywhere in the room, then displays the target temperature or time. Previously, users had to be within 3 feet of the thermostat for the display to automatically wake up.
With the new Furnace Heads-Up, the thermostat detects if a furnace’s automatic shutoff feature is clicking in to avoid overheating. The Nest Thermostat looks for shutoff patterns that indicate “a persistent problem,” and the Nest app and thermostat display will display a warning message twice per year. A warning will also appear in a user’s monthly report.
Furnace Heads-Up will be available for first- and second- generation customers later this year.
Like before, the third-gen thermostat integrates wirelessly with the company’s Nest Protect fire/CO detector and Nest Cam security camera. Also like before, the thermostat uses Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n or Zigbee 802.15.4 wireless technologies to integrate with third-party home automation devices such as the August Smart Lock, Kwikset Kevo Smart Lock, Ooma VOIP home phone service, Philips Hue LED lights, Whirlpool washers and dryers, Zuli smart plugs, Big Ass Fans and Withings wearables, among others.
“The Nest Learning Thermostat has been proven by third-party researchers to save people, on average, about 10 to 12 percent on their heating bills and about 15 percent on their cooling bills,” said Maxime Veron, head of hardware product marketing, Nest. “
