Google appears to be gearing up to launch a fourth-generation Nest smart thermostat. Details about the thermostat were first leaked last week and now the same leaker has posted more details. x.com/MysteryLupin/status/1817682764595970361″>documents about x which show that this new model will have a customizable home screen, a new “Dynamic Farsight” feature and a “borderless” display.
The leaks detail a “high-resolution borderless display” that appears to allow the Nest smart thermostat’s UI to extend into the area that was normally a black frame on existing third-generation units. Other leaked images also show UI elements appearing much closer to the display bezels.
There's a mention of a Dynamic Farsight feature, but the leak doesn't show how this new feature works. The Farsight feature on existing Nest models allows the unit to activate when you get close to it to display information like the weather, time, or ambient temperature. I'm hoping the mention of the Dynamic feature means the fourth generation can display a combination of information this time around, rather than being limited to certain options.
The leaked Google documents also mention “natural heating and cooling” and a customizable home screen for the fourth-generation Nest smart thermostat. It’s not clear how natural heating and cooling work, nor how customizable the new home screen is.
The fourth-generation Nest smart thermostat will come with an oval trim plate in the box, along with 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 smart thermostat into the Google Home app, but this new model has a full UI within the app that lets you change all the settings and control schedules without having to switch to the Nest app.
There's no mention of hardware updates beyond changes to the display, but I'm hoping Google has greatly improved the internals after nearly 10 years. Third-generation smart thermostats are notorious for having issues with the Wi-Fi chip, resulting in units breaking down and needing to be replaced. Personally, I've had to replace my Nest smart thermostat twice due to Wi-Fi issues.
The leaker also suggests that 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 cost $39 each, or three for $99. We may get official release dates and pricing during the “made by Google” hardware event on August 13.
