Google Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) Official With Major Design Update, $279 Price

A major leak the other day spoiled a Google surprise, but it is now official – the Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) is here. Fans of previous generation Nest Thermostats are really going to like this one, I think. It brings a major redesign and looks absolutely incredible.

The new Nest Thermostat (4th Gen) comes in Polished Obsidian, Polished Silver, and Polished Gold. It costs $279.99 and includes a new Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd Gen) in the box.

What’s new in the Nest Thermostat (4th Gen): The biggest change you’ll notice about this new Nest Thermostat is in the design. Google is introducing a domed crystal LCD display that is 60% bigger than the previous generation Nest. The new design tries to eliminate the appearance of bezels, so what you get is a tech product that almost looks like a piece of jewelry on your wall. It’s finished with three different metals, giving you a choice over how it’ll fill the space in your home.

Thanks to the large display, Google is introducing a new featured called Dynamic Farsight. This new feature allows you to customize the home screen, so that you can more easily view time, temperature, weather, or outdoor air quality. It should look great on the big display as you walk by it, because this thing will sense you with a Soli radar chip.

As far as support, Google says this device features a “new 12-terminal backplate” that expands compatibility to work with most 24V HVAC systems, including gas, electric, oil, forced air, heat pump, and radiant. You should be able to install it yourself too, plus it’ll work with Heating 1, 2, and 3 stage systems, as well as Cooling 1 and 2 stages.

Google is attempting to use AI in this new Nest Thermostat that could save energy and money. It tries to better understand when you are home or away, creates micro-adjustments based on patterns to keep temperatures just right, and should more quickly (and accurately) make temperature schedules for you. This thermostat can even check your weather and see how that might affect temperature inside before adjusting accordingly. And if it detects poor air quality, it can then decide to pause ventilation or open up fresh air as the quality improves. It monitors humidity levels within your home too.

As I mentioned earlier, Google is included the new Nest Temperature Sensor in the box. You can always buy more, but the single included unit should be prove to be very helpful. These sensors can be placed in rooms throughout your house to find cold or hot spots and to let you prioritize temperatures where those sensors are.

And finally, Google has built this thermostat to better monitor the health of your HVAC system to let you know if performance dips or if there are problems that need immediate attention. Should it detect an issue, you’ll get notifications explaining the problem.

Of course, the new Nest Thermostat works through the Google Home app, which has “been redesigned to be easier and more intuitive” to control temperatures and schedules.

The new Nest Thermostat (4th Gen) is up for pre-order today and should ship by August 20.

Pre-order Link: Nest Thermostat (4th Gen)