Monday, November 4, 2024

Google’s new Nest Thermostat has an improved UI and “borderless” display

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Google appears to be preparing to launch a fourth generation Nest Learning Thermostat. Details on the thermostat first leaked last week, and now the same leaker has posted more documents on X that show this new model will have a customizable home screen, a new “Dynamic Farsight” feature, and a “borderless” display.

The leaks detail a “high-res borderless display” which looks like it will allow the UI of the Nest Learning Thermostat to extend into the area that was typically a black bezel on existing third generation units. Other leaked images show UI elements that appear much closer to the bezels of the display, too.

Dynamic Farsight is mentioned, but the leak doesn’t show how this new feature works. Farsight on existing Nest models allows the unit to wake up when you walk up to it, to show information like weather, the time, or room temperature. I’m hoping the dynamic mention means the fourth generation can show a mixture of information this time, rather than being limited to certain options.

Google’s leaked documents also mention “natural heating and cooling” and a customizable home screen for the fourth generation Nest Learning Thermostat. It’s not clear how the natural heating and cooling works, nor just how customizable the new home screen is.

The fourth generation Nest Learning Thermostat will come with an oval-shape trim plate in the box, alongside the usual thermostat base, a rear steel plate, and a second-generation Nest Temperature Sensor. Google only has very basic integration of its third generation Nest Learning Thermostat into the Google Home app, but this new model has a full UI within the app that allows you to change all the settings and control schedules without having to switch over to the Nest app.

There’s no mention of hardware upgrades beyond the display changes, but I’m hoping Google has greatly improved the internals here after nearly 10 years. Third-generation Learning Thermostats are notorious for having Wi-Fi chip issues, where the units will die and have to be replaced. I’ve personally had to replace my Nest Learning Thermostat twice because of the Wi-Fi problems.

The leaker also suggests this new fourth generation model will be priced at $279, making it the most expensive Nest thermostat yet. The new Nest temperature sensors are said to be $39 each, or three for $99. We might get official launch dates and pricing during the “made by Google” hardware event on August 13th.

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