Alphabet’s Nest Launches Cheaper Thermostat to Boost Sales
- ‘Thermostat E’ has plastic edges, lower-end screen; costs $170
- Competition in the market for smart home devices is heating up
The Nest Thermostat E
Source: NestThis article is for subscribers only.
Alphabet Inc.’s Nest introduced a cheaper version of its digital thermostat to spur sales as the smart home sector gains new competitors.
The new model, the Thermostat E, costs $170, coming in $80 below the current version, Nest said. To cut costs, Nest used plastic rather than metal for the edges that surround the circular thermostat and swapped the full color screen for a frosted display with fewer colors. The cheaper model still functions similarly to the original, allowing users to adjust the temperature by turning the device’s circular dial. It still connects to a smartphone, letting people adjust their home’s climate remotely, and adapts to conditions and use automatically.