PRE-ORDER NOW: The new Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen) is now available for preorder at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store for $279.99. It will start shipping on Aug. 20.
Google is refreshing its smartest thermostat for the first time since the Obama administration.
The tech giant announced the fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat Tuesday (a week ahead of its big Made by Google event), a long-awaited successor to its 2015 model that's been redesigned and upgraded with new features. It now comes with a new second-gen Nest Temperature Sensor for keeping tabs on separate rooms, too, helping justify its $30 price bump.
The new Nest Learning Thermostat will retail for $279.99, and preorders have opened at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store ahead of its official release on Tuesday, Aug. 20. (Take your pick from three metal finishes: polished obsidian, polished gold, or polished silver.) Extra sensors can be purchased separately for $39.99 apiece or $99.99 for a three-pack.
The device's makeover includes a 60 percent bigger footprint and a new curved, bezel-free crystal LCD display that's inspired by "[the] shape and movement of water," according a company blog post — picture a droplet sitting on the surface of a coin. It's slimmer than the older model, and its dial requires a lighter touch to twist. There's also a new Dynamic Farsight feature that lets users customize its home screen to show the time, temperature, weather, humidity, or outdoor air quality. Google calls it "our smartest and most beautiful thermostat yet."
As for those smarts: The purpose of the Nest Learning Thermostat is still to save energy while keeping you comfy — it's just better at it now. For starters, a new AI-powered "Smart Schedule" feature makes it capable of learning your everyday routines and temperature preferences faster. You can enable changes to this schedule automatically or opt to approve them manually. It can also now tweak your home's temperature based on the weather outside.
Relatedly, if you have a ventilation system, a new "Smart Ventilation" feature will pump in fresh air when outdoor air quality is good and pause it if conditions worsen (like during heat waves and wildfire season).
Google says the new Nest Learning Thermostat is compatible with most HVAC systems, and also capable of monitoring their performance. If your heater isn't kicking on after you turn the temperature up, for example, you'll get an alert. You'll handle all controls through the Google Home app.
