The 4th Gen Nest Learning Thermostat May Be the Pinnacle of Smart Home Automation

On August 20th, 2024, Google released its latest product in the Nest Thermostat line, the 4th Gen Nest Learning Thermostat.

With a bundle of top-of-the-line features and a sleek, stunning design, the 4th Gen Google Nest Thermostat has already managed to capture the attention of tech gurus and competing industry moguls everywhere.

But what truly sets this piece of technology apart from the thermostat you already have? Let's look at the evolution of the Nest Thermostat.

1st Generation (2011)

The original Nest Learning Thermostat was revolutionary, introducing the concept of a smart thermostat that could learn from your behavior. It featured a simple, circular design with a rotating dial and was equipped with sensors and algorithms to adapt to your daily routine, helping users save energy by automatically adjusting the temperature when they were away or asleep.

2nd Generation (2012)

In 2012, the second generation brought a slimmer profile and improved compatibility with a wider range of HVAC systems. It also introduced the Farsight feature, which displayed information like the current temperature when you approached it.

3rd Generation (2015)

The third generation of the Nest Learning Thermostat featured a larger and higher-resolution display, along with enhanced compatibility and more advanced learning algorithms. This model continues to build on the energy-saving features of its predecessors while introducing integration with more smart home devices.

4th Generation (2024)

This brings us to the latest 4th generation model, released in August. This thermostat brings a major redesign, which Google has stated, “is intended to look like a piece of art.” It features a 60% larger domed crystal LCD display that blends seamlessly into the thermostat's body, giving it a sleek, modern look. And at Starling, we think it's possibly the best-looking smart thermostat on the market.

An Eye-Catching Design that Integrates with Modern Home Decor

Measuring 3.9 inches in diameter and 1.1 inches thick, the Nest Learning Thermostat resembles the popular Google Pixel Watch. With a display that lives behind multiple layers of colored and mirrored glass, this smart device appears bezel-free to fit in seamlessly with the sleek, modern look that's trending in people's homes today.

This Google Nest device is available in three color options (silver, obsidian, gold) to fit any existing decor.

With these color options also comes a feature called Dynamic Farsight, which Google has included in an effort to make the display options (temperature, time, air quality, etc.) more user-friendly to customize.

A Comprehensive Set of Features

The 4th Generation Google Nest Learning Thermostat is packed with intelligent features designed to make home climate control easier, more efficient, and highly customizable. 

Smart Features like Advanced AI Learning take center stage, allowing the thermostat to create personalized schedules that cater to your unique temperature preferences and daily routines. The device automatically adjusts settings to ensure optimal comfort while maximizing energy efficiency. Additionally, it considers outdoor weather conditions to make real-time adjustments. For example, it may pause heating on a sunny day when natural warmth suffices indoors, or tweak cooling levels during humid conditions to maintain a comfortable indoor environment. The Smart Schedule feature further enhances this by quickly adapting to your habits, such as adjusting the temperature when it senses movement in your home.

In terms of temperature management, the 4th Generation Nest includes a redesigned Nest Temperature Sensor (2nd Gen). This sensor plays a crucial role in eliminating hot and cold spots within your home by prioritizing specific rooms based on your preferences. The system allows you to connect up to six sensors, giving you the flexibility to average temperatures across multiple locations, or to focus on specific areas, like a nursery during a baby’s nap time. You can also assign different sensors to be active at times of the day you choose, with fully flexible scheduling (a much requested feature missing from earlier models) providing granular control over your home’s climate, along with the ability to average temperature readings over different sensors to balance heating and cooling across different rooms.

HVAC System Monitoring is another standout feature of this model. It not only controls your home’s temperature but also keeps an eye on the health of your HVAC system. The thermostat monitors performance and sends alerts if it detects any issues, helping you address potential problems before they escalate. The new model also boasts expanded compatibility thanks to its 12-terminal backplate, which supports most 24V HVAC systems, including gas, electric, oil, forced air, heat pump, and radiant setups.

The thermostat's commitment to energy efficiency is evident in its detailed Energy Reports, which track your usage and offer insights on how to reduce energy consumption and save money. The device features Eco Temperatures, which automatically switch to energy-saving settings when it detects that you're away from home, ensuring that your system is only working hard when needed.

Finally, integration and control options in the Nest Learning Thermostat are designed to be especially user-friendly. The thermostat seamlessly integrates with the Google Home app, which has been redesigned for easier and more intuitive control of temperatures and schedules. It supports voice control via Google Home Assistant, allowing you to adjust settings hands-free. But if you're an Apple household, you're probably thinking about Apple Home integration since that's where all your smart home devices live.

Connecting Starling Home Hub to Your Newest Tech Is Simpler Than Ever

The 4th Gen Nest Learning Thermostat already supports Matter, so can be added directly to Apple Home without any additional hardware or software. Unfortunately, the controls provided are very limited - just mode and temperature setting - which means that most of the thermostat's features, including fan control and temperature sensor selection, are not available in Apple Home. And, while the thermostat itself supports Matter, the included Nest Temperature Sensor does not.

Starling Home Hub allows you to connect your new Google Nest Thermostat to your existing Apple HomeKit ecosystem, enabling seamless integration that isn't supported natively, with full functionality including fan control, sensor selection, and full support for Nest Temperature Sensors. By linking Starling Home Hub to your Google account, the device translates communications between your Nest Thermostat and HomeKit, making the thermostat and sensors appear as a HomeKit-compatible device in the Apple Home app. This integration allows you to control your Nest Thermostat using Siri voice commands, the Home app, or through HomeKit automation routines - providing a unified smart home experience.

As technology grows and changes, Starling Home Hub will continue to help make the process as smooth as possible. Contact us for more information on Starling Home Hub for all your Google Nest automation needs, or try it for yourself for a sleeker, more modern living experience and smart home advancement.