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Nest gets more colorful with three new options for its smart thermostat

David Berkowitz/Flickr

While Google rolled out major updates to its lineup of Pixel devices at its Made By Google event, one thing seemed to slip through the cracks: An update to the company’s line of smart thermostats made by Nest, which received a high-fashion makeover. Three new finishes give you as much control over the look of your thermostat as it does the temperature of your home.

The Nest Learning Thermostat will be available in mirror black, brass, and polished steel finishes, according to Google product blog The Keyword. These new options bring the total number of finishes available for the Nest to seven, and expands the options for modern design aesthetics. The company started down that road with the introduction of its copper and stainless steel finishes, which were first made available in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The original matte white and black designs are also still available, if that is more your style.

Google

Per Google, Nest thermostats have saved more than 24 billion kilowatt hours of energy. Given that smart thermostats are still a growing market, with a market predicted to be worth nearly $6 billion by 2020, it’s pretty safe to assume that number of hours saved will only continue to skyrocket for the Google-owned smart home device maker. Nest is still a leader in the market, but it has plenty of competition if you’re looking for alternatives that either offer other features or come in at a lower price point.

According to Google, the latest addition of finishes is all about letting people find a thermostat that matches their home aesthetic. “There are now seven color options to choose from in total, so you can find the one that matches your personal style best,” the company said in a blog post.

Same Nest Learning Thermostat, three new bold colors: Polished Steel, Mirror Black, and Brass. Learn more: https://t.co/3rpW93WvBg pic.twitter.com/9nEp8N5bWr

— Google Nest (@googlenest) October 9, 2018

If you’re looking to add a Nest Learning Thermostat to your home with one of the mirror black, brass, and polished steel finish option, you will have to go directly through Nest’s online store for the time being. The devices are available there in all seven variations. Third-party retailers like Amazon still don’t have the fashionable finishes in stock for the time being.

AJ Dellinger
AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…
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