The Google Nest Learning Thermostat just got the biggest upgrade in years — here’s everything that’s new
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Google just showed us its new Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen), and it's shaping up to be one of the best smart thermostats we've seen yet. Its premium build quality, advanced AI features, and Matter support are massive upgrades over the Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen). The Matter support is especially big since you can use it with any Matter-compatible smart home platform to control it beyond just Google Home.
The newest Nest Learning Thermostat evolves upon the decade-old design language of its predecessor and now comes in three different colors (Polished Silver, Polished Obsidian and Polished Gold). Its most noticeable change is the thermostat's sleek glass panel with a new domed crystal LCD display. Read on to see if its more adaptive AI and improved build quality are enough to justify its nearly $300 price tag.
Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) hands-on: Specs
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) hands-on: Price and availability
The Nest Learning Thermostat costs $279.99 / AU$430 and is available for pre-order now and will arrive officially on August 20. In the US, this is $30 more than its predecessor, which you can chalk up to the inclusion of a new 2nd Gen Nest temperature sensor in the box. It also costs $30 more than our pick for the best smart thermostat, the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium. While Ecobee's option also ships with an external temperature sensor it looks like a bulky gadget sticking out from the wall.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) hands-on: Design
The Nest's rounded 2.7-inch LCD screen is 60% bigger than the previous generation's display. This expanded space creates rich colors and completely eliminates the appearance of chunky bezels. That's especially great for the new Dynamic Farsight feature which lets you customize the home screen to easily view the time, temperature, weather or outdoor air quality. This view changes up close and expands from a distance so you can see this info at a glance. Plus it's sharp enough to animate weather conditions like small drops of rain and lightning.
At just 1-inch thick the thermostat looks a bit like a mushroom when viewed from the side; its face is much wider than the section which attaches to your wall. Like previous models, you can use the stainless steel bangle surrounding the thermostat to make adjustments and dial in your temperatures. A new 12-terminal backplate greatly expands its compatibility to work with most HVAC systems.
The remote sensor that comes with the Nest Learning Thermostat can be used to create routines to tell the thermostat to adjust the temperature to the sensor, rather than the main thermostat itself. If you have multiple sensors, you can program the thermostat to adjust the temperature to their average, too.
However, we wish that the Nest remote sensors also had occupancy detectors like Ecobee's remote sensors; that way, you could tell the Nest to adjust the temperature in a particular room, but only if it senses someone there.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) hands-on: Features
Google's more advanced AI does more than keep you comfortable while you're home and automatically switch to an energy-efficient temperature when you're away. Beyond learning patterns, it monitors your system health and outdoor conditions to help you save energy and money.
The Nest Thermostat (4th Gen) is smart enough to analyze how the weather outdoors will affect the temperature inside. For example, it can pause heating on a sunny winter day to let your home get warmer on its own. When humidity is high, it can anticipate warmer indoor temperatures and can adjust accordingly.
Smart Schedule is more aware of pattern changes and makes frequent micro-adjustments in situations such as coming home a few minutes earlier from work in the summer to maximize your comfort. Energy-saving suggestions can be implemented automatically, or you can accept or reject them in the Google Home app. You can set up automations from the Google Home app so that it can talk to contact and door sensors and remind you to close them and conserve energy.
And, because the 4th-gen Nest Learning Thermostat is Matter-compatible, you can control it from other smart home apps, such as HomeKit, though it's unclear if you'll be able to access all of the thermostat's features from Apple's app.
Last but certainly not least is the System Health Monitor feature which tracks your HVAC performance over time. This can sense issues like failure to cool or heat a space in adequate time and send you recommendations or urgent alerts for problems that may require immediate attention. Smart Ventilation ties into this monitoring to bring in fresh air when outdoor air quality is healthy, and automatically turns it off if pollutants are detected. This is useful for homes near frequent wildfires or cities.
Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) hands-on: Outlook
Google's Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd Gen) spent nearly a decade as the darling of the smart thermostat category. Rivals like Ecobee have tried to bring their designs more in line with this predecessor and have outdone it in features over time. This new Nest Learning Thermostat not only comes out swinging with a ton of new capabilities but with a hell of a style that's going to be hard to beat.
Of course, we need to see how this new smart thermostat's AI performs in everyday use over time. Plus we plan to use it with other smart home platforms to see how the interface and features are impacted. As it stands, the new Nest Learning Thermostat is the most exciting model to hit the category in years and has the potential to show off just how useful Matter is.
You can pre-order the Nest Learning Thermostat at the Google Store and select retailers today for $279.99 in the U.S. and $379.99 in Canada, with a full launch on August 20. Every thermostat comes with the Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd Gen). You can nab additional sensors for $39.99 USD individually or at $99.99 for a 3-pack.
