Your Nest smart thermostat should get a little smarter at some point over the next week as the company rolls out version 4.3 of the software, providing improved auto-scheduling and faster access to info at-a-glance.
A single push of the ring displays the information shown above, which includes weather, outdoor temperature and humidity. This has, says Nest, been the biggest customer request, allowing them to check what they should wear before heading out in the morning. Getting access to additional information, like yesterday’s energy usage or tomorrow’s schedule, is now available simply by turning the ring left or right …
An enhanced version of the auo-schedule function, where the thermostat learns how & when you make temperature changes, should enable greater savings, says the company.
Auto-Schedule can now help you save up to 6% more on your heating and cooling bills by learning new schedules quickly and adapting to changes better. So when your schedule shifts–like when summer’s over and the kids are back at school–Nest can now catch on faster that the temperature adjustments you’re making are part of a new pattern rather than just one-off changes.
A system test function has also been added. Rollout of the update should be automatic, and you’ll know you’ve got it if you see weather info when you press the ring.
Competition in the smart heating and cooling market is growing, with rival offerings from Tado, Honeywell, Quirky Aros and others – and is likely to further increase when Apple’s smart home integration system HomeKit launches.
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Hope this finally adds a simple ‘Hold’ to the current temperature. That is not asking a lot Nest.
Seriously doubtful they’ll introduce hold. That feature, while useful, is completely counter to Nest’s ethos.
Quite coincidentally, I just called in last night to have my Nest replaced. The ring is super stiff and only rotates freely for about 1″ worth of turn.
Lately I’ve been thinking of switching over to the new product from the original WiFi Thermostat guys, Ecobee. Their product would be a much better fit for my system, allowing EASY control and monitoring of Humidifier and ERV/HRV – two things the Nest doesn’t support. (Yes, Nest does have a humidifier/aux wire support, but that’s not enough if the outside temp isn’t taken into consideration to prevent condensation).
What about a CLOCK, not always needed by nice to have when you walk by ..