Nest Thermostat vs Amazon Smart Thermostat: Which one should you buy?

One of the most aggressively priced products unveiled at Amazon's 2021 Fall hardware event was the company's $60 titular smart thermostat. Priced at less than half the cost of Google's Nest budget offering - the $129 Nest Thermostat - it's no secret Amazon is doing everything in the conglomerate's power to ensure every household has some form of an Alexa-compatible device at the core of their smart home. 

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Usually, when we compare two products against each other, it's something with a laundry list of technical specs, like which laptop or tablet you should buy. With these thermostats, the functionality is somewhat capped.

At any rate, we'll still walk you through all the features the two devices tout so you can make the best decision as to which unit is right for you and your home. 

• Nest 3.0 review: The smartest thermostat got smarter

What's the same?

All these products are very similar at their core. They all connect to some version of an app to control temperature and schedule presets from your phone. On both Google's Nest series and, of course Amazon's thermostat, you can use Alexa to manage them as well. 

Regarding home wiring compatibility, the Nest Thermostat is compatible with 24V heating and cooling, with Google claiming it'll work with up to 85% of all systems. 

Amazon doesn't estimate how many homes it's compatible with, simply advertising it'll work with 'most' systems. You will, however, need a C-wire or power adapter kit, so keep that in mind or be sure to ask an electrician if you aren't sure your home is adequately suited. 

Design

Neither unit looks outdated, but thanks to the twice as expensive price tag, we think it's fair to say Google's Nest Thermostat probably seems a little sweeter on the eye as compared to Amazon's more boxy and low-tech appearance. We reckon this is alright, though, as any further fancy design changes would have shot the price up into the triple-digit range, most likely. 

Both units feature touch-sensitive controls, while the Nest has a mirrored finish compared to Amazon's white plastic faceplate. 

The Nest Thermostat is offered in four colours, Snow (white), Sand (beige), Fog (mint green), and Charcoal (black). The Amazon Smart Thermostat is only available in white. 

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How much do they cost?

The Amazon Smart Thermostat retails for $59.99 exclusively in the United States. 

Nest, who used to sell a specific budget model dubbed the Nest Thermostat E, no longer offers that model. While it's still technically able to be purchased, you'll have to find leftover inventory from a third-party retailer rather than being able to buy one from Google directly. As for what's still being sold firsthand, currently, the company's most modestly priced option is the standard Nest Thermostat, which sells for $129.99. 

^{The discontinued Nest Thermostat E, first introduced in August 2017.Â} 

Google also sells a more premium model, dubbed the Nest Learning Thermostat, which is designed to track your temperature-changing habits and start implementing them automatically. It's offered in a metal housing rather than plastic, comes in a variety of finishes, and can tell you the weather and time. The Nest Learning Thermostat retails from the company for $199.99. 

^{Google's $199.99 luxury Nest Learning Thermostat in the Brass finish. Â} 

Interestingly, on Amazon's product page for the Smart Thermostat, it seems to tout a similar feature. 'Automatic comfort - Alexa can do the programming for you, updating the temperature to keep you comfortable'. How well this'll work remains to be seen, but when the product hits shelves, Pocket-lint will be sure to have a review for you. 

When will the Amazon Smart Thermostat be available? 

Amazon's Smart Thermostat will go on sale in the United States on 4 November, 2021. 

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Source : https://www.pocket-lint.com/smart-home/buyers-guides/amazon/158587-nest-thermostat-vs-amazon-smart-thermostat-which-one-should-you-buy