Nest is forever expanding into new categories—cameras, face-goggle-thingies—but it's not forgetting its roots. Today, the company announced a new thermostat with a handful of high-tech upgrades inside. Your $249 now gets you more thermostat in less package.
The big new feature is the larger screen, a 2.08-incher that Nest says you can see across the room. (It's only 480x480 pixels, though—it might be the fifth or sixth gen before we get that 4K thermostat everyone will soon decide they need.) Seeing it from across the room is exactly the point, by the way. Along with the new Farsight feature, which activates the Nest's screen when you enter the room and displays the temperature or time, you'll be able to get more information more quickly. It's got better integration with other Nest devices, still serving as the hub for everything happening in the home.
The new model is a funny mix of more and less noticeable. The device itself is thinner, so it won't stick out as much from your wall, and Farsight means you won't have to walk over and touch it so often. But the screen's bigger, higher-res, and likely to be on a lot more.
Is it going to sway the nay-sayers, and make everyone get a smart thermostat? No. Is it going to make you yank your old Nest out of the wall and replace it? Also no. But it's a nice upgrade, and a sign that Nest is becoming a mature company making mature products. And Google Glass.
