Could An Affordable Nest Thermostat Be On Its Way?

Nest has been consistently criticised for being slow to release new products into the market. Its first original product, the Nest Learning Thermostat, launched in 2011, which was then followed by the Nest Protect in 2013. Of course, it also had the Nest Cam, although many refuse to acknowledge it as an original product, after all it was just a rebadged Dropcam, which the company acquired in 2014. Despite the slow gestation of new devices, Nest fans could soon get not one, but two new products – a more affordable learning thermostat and a home security system.

The Nest Learning Thermostat has been the smart home manufacturer’s bread and butter, although some consumers remain unconvinced that its high price is worth paying. Nest is adamant that users will eventually save money with its smart thermostat, but it’s finding it hard to convince consumers to stump up £200 for its thermostat, when more basic models are available for around £30.

To entice users who may not want to spend the full £200 on a new thermostat, Nest is supposedly toying around with the idea of launching a more affordable model. According to Bloomberg, the smart home maker is considering using less expensive components to bring the cost of the product down. That would include removing some of the signature metal and glass exterior.

The company is also reportedly exploring ways to make its existing thermostat a little smarter. Currently the Nest Learning Thermostat gauges the temperature based on where it’s placed. That means remote rooms may be hotter or colder than the room in which the thermostat is situated, leading the Nest to either turn off the heating, or to keep it on for longer than is necessary. To combat this, some of the company’s competitors, such as Ecobee, use Wi-Fi room sensors to assess the temperature in multiple rooms. Bloomberg suggests that Nest is now considering a similar solution for its thermostat.

The more affordable Nest thermostat could launch sooner rather than later. Bloomberg’s source suggests that it may launch by next year, although the company declined to comment on any future product developments.

It may not be the only new Nest product to launch in the next 12 months either. That’s because the company is also supposedly working on a new home security system, complete with an alarm, digital doorbell and an updated indoor security camera. If true, Nest’s system would be one of the first by a Silicon Valley giant designed to go head-to-head against more established security firms, such as ADT and Yale.

According to Bloomberg, a prototype version of the system includes a central hub with a keypad, a pack of alarm sensors to be placed on windows and doors, as well as a fob for key rings for arming and disarming the alarm system.

One of the prototype versions of the system includes a central hub with a keypad, a pack of alarm sensors to be placed on windows and doors, and a fob for key rings for arming and disarming the alarm system, the person said. The system will even have an audible alarm when unauthorised entry is detected, much like a standard alarm system. Of course, Nest is reportedly planning to add some smarts to its system. That includes the ability to remotely authorise one time entrants, rather than parting ways with a key fob. The system will also supposedly link up to a mobile app for monitoring the system, arming it, disarming it and receiving notifications when an unauthorised person is detected.