Ecobee's New HomeKit-Enabled Smart Thermostat Premium Launches for $249

[MacRumors]

Following multiple leaks, smart home accessory maker Ecobee today officially announced its new Smart Thermostat Premium, with key new features including a premium design with higher-end materials, a larger display, a refreshed user interface, improved sensor technology, indoor air quality monitoring, and more environmentally friendly packaging.

Like the popular Nest thermostat, the Smart Thermostat Premium features a glass face with a metal enclosure, whereas previous Ecobee models have a plastic design. The thermostat has a 50% larger display with improved responsiveness, and the user interface has been enhanced with larger temperature sliders and simplified navigation.

The thermostat comes with Ecobee's SmartSensor, which can be placed anywhere throughout the home to detect motion and provide a more accurate reading of the home's occupancy and temperature to help manage hot or cold spots.

Ecobee said the new thermostat is built with the company's most advanced sensor technology for improved temperature readings, occupancy detection, and motion detection, while a new built-in air quality sensor monitors indoor air quality, including estimated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as relative humidity. The thermostat displays a home's air quality status directly on the screen.

Like other Ecobee models, the Smart Thermostat Premium is compatible with Apple's smart home platform HomeKit, and a built-in speaker supports "Hey Siri" voice commands for tasks such as setting the temperature and sending Intercom messages (requires a HomePod or HomePod mini connected to the same Wi-Fi network). The thermostat is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and automation platform IFTTT.

Ecobee's latest smart thermostats can double as home security systems, with professional monitoring available for $10 per month in the United States.

The Smart Thermostat Premium has 30% smaller packaging compared to the previous model, according to Ecobee. Inside the box, the company said recycled paper has been replaced with compostable tapioca starch trays, and paper manuals are no longer included. An installation guide can be accessed using a mobile device.

The Smart Thermostat Premium is available to order starting today on Ecobee's website and through select retail partners, including Amazon, Lowe's, The Home Depot, and Best Buy, with pricing set at $249.99 in the United States. A lower-end Smart Thermostat Enhanced model without features like air quality monitoring and voice control is also launching for $189.99, while the Ecobee3 lite will remain available for $149.99.

Article Link: Ecobee's New HomeKit-Enabled Smart Thermostat Premium Launches for $249

 

[itsanewworld]

New features in premium

• Built-in radar occupancy sensor
• Built-in indoor air quality monitor
• Spotify & Bluetooth streaming
• Hands-free calling and intercom
• Smoke Alarm Detect

 

[Rychiar]

thread support?

 

[laydownlarry]

Wonder why they refuse to make a white version. I'm not leaving behind Nest until someone does.

 

[UnseenLlama]

thread support?

It does support Thread and can be updated to Matter support, but the company has not committed to it yet. Source:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1526549904788795392

 

[siddavis]

From their website: To control this Siri-enabled accessory, the latest version of iOS or iPadOS is recommended. Accessing Siri on this accessory requires iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 or later and a HomePod or HomePod mini with software version 15 or later.

I still don't understand why a HomePod is required. Why can't AppleTV act as the hub. I have 3 of those!!

 

[SilenceBroken]

And boom goes the dynamite.

 

[kc9hzn]

I’ve never quite understood indoor air quality monitoring. What can I do with it in terms of health information, and what can I do to improve indoor air quality?

I guess my usual concerns when it comes to indoor air quality are 1) outdoor particulate matter getting indoors and possibly contributing to breathing issues and 2) indoor dust. And it doesn’t seem like these indoor air sensors target those, so it seems like I’m missing something.

 

[siddavis]

I currently have 2 Ecobee thermostats. They have Alexa built in and it is utterly irritating. The microphones and definitely the speakers are not as good as Echo devices, so the results are more annoying than helpful. I wonder if this is improved on the premium device. I'd prefer Siri integration.

 

[btrach144]

I currently have 2 Ecobee thermostats. They have Alexa built in and it is utterly irritating. The microphones and definitely the speakers are not as good as Echo devices, so the results are more annoying than helpful. I wonder if this is improved on the premium device. I'd prefer Siri integration.

This has Siri integration. Already using it on my 5

 

[Cinab1mt]

Disclaimer: I have not read through all the updates, however, is anyone aware if this can be installed on the older Ecobee's base plate? Or will new wiring/connections be required?

 

[braket]

Does Nest have patents on having the outside edge of the thermostat be a physical ring that rotates? It seems like the natural interface for a thermostat over sliders on a touchscreen. Unfortunately Nest seems to have stagnated development to focus on their entry-level models. I mean, I know it’s just a thermostat, but these things should all have Thread and Matter support by now if the manufacturers really want smart homes to reach critical mass.

 

[siddavis]

This has Siri integration. Already using it on my 5

I understand. I was commenting on the quality of the current Alexa integration. For me, the results are poor. I'm hoping the hardware is improved enough to make Siri integration a better experience. Microphone pickup, speaker output...

 

[oneMadRssn]

They better bring this new UI to the older models...

 

[kc9hzn]

Does Nest have patents on having the outside edge of the thermostat be a physical ring that rotates? It seems like the natural interface for a thermostat over sliders on a touchscreen. Unfortunately Nest seems to have stagnated development to focus on their entry-level models. I mean, I know it’s just a thermostat, but these things should all have Thread and Matter support by now if the manufacturers really want smart homes to reach critical mass.

I wouldn’t think so, at least on the idea of rotating the whole face. That’s a thing some not-smart thermostats did, if I remember correctly. At most, maybe they have patents on certain mechanisms for doing so in a smart thermostat.

 

[falkon-engine]

I’ve never quite understood indoor air quality monitoring. What can I do with it in terms of health information, and what can I do to improve indoor air quality?

I guess my usual concerns when it comes to indoor air quality are 1) outdoor particulate matter getting indoors and possibly contributing to breathing issues and 2) indoor dust. And it doesn’t seem like these indoor air sensors target those, so it seems like I’m missing something.

You can buy an Air Purifier. Some come with VOC reduction abilities and then you can buy separate VOC filters. Trust me, I know, I needed to use one last year to reduce the odor from staining a table inside (I live in a dense urban environment I can't do it outside). And the purifier with VOC reduction abilities worked!

 

[profets]

Any mention of what display tech they’re using? I hope it’s OLED, would look gorgeous with this design.

 

[UnseenLlama]

Disclaimer: I have not read through all the updates, however, is anyone aware if this can be installed on the older Ecobee's base plate? Or will new wiring/connections be required?

The baseplate has been updated so you can't directly swap them out.

 

[FireArse]

I have the current setup installed. Once the installation was complete I’ve been nothing but delighted with the system.

It just works.

 

[jclardy]

Any mention of what display tech they’re using? I hope it’s OLED, would look gorgeous with this design.

Still seems like it is LCD according to the verge review. But the pictures make it appear to be better quality than the iPhone 3G era LCD of the last model.

It does look nicer with the better materials, larger display, and not having that odd kidney bean IR window on the corner, but the only way I'd upgrade is if I can just pop off the old one and pop this one on...I'm not sure if they use the same back plate.

 

[profets]

Still seems like it is LCD according to the verge review. But the pictures make it appear to be better quality than the iPhone 3G era LCD of the last model.

It does look nicer with the better materials, larger display, and not having that odd kidney bean IR window on the corner, but the only way I'd upgrade is if I can just pop off the old one and pop this one on...I'm not sure if they use the same back plate.

Thanks for that. Definitely a nice improvement overall and I’m sure newer LCDs do look much better. I’m quite tempted to swap out my ecobee3 for it just for aesthetics alone.

 

[kc9hzn]

You can buy an Air Purifier. Some come with VOC reduction abilities and then you can buy separate VOC filters. Trust me, I know, I needed to use one last year to reduce the odor from staining a table inside (I live in a dense urban environment I can't do it outside). And the purifier with VOC reduction abilities worked!

I use an air purifier for dust, but I still don’t really understand how VOCs impact health or what sorts of environments lead to more VOCs. I can understand the fumes from staining wood and wanting to control those (or the fumes from other activities, such as the application of epoxies), but are there other things that can lead to VOCs impacting indoor air quality? I’m sure I could probably search for info online, but this seems like it’s going to be one of those health related topics where lots of people have strongly held opinions (and mostly anecdotal evidence to back those opinions up), and it’s definitely going to be one of those topics that acts like the Bat Signal to scammers and quacks.

 

[profets]

From the Verge’s review

but the color LCD touchscreen is now 50 percent larger, a 4-inch diagonal square compared to a 3.5-inch diagonal rectangle. The display has been bumped up to 540x540 pixels, making it sharper as well as bigger.

They do have some nice hands on images and such there.

 

[jerryk]

Interesting. We currently have Ecobee Lite thermostats and have been very happy with them. It might be worth upgrading for the Alexa integration and Air quality monitoring. I also like the new silver body.

 

[profets]

They better bring this new UI to the older models...

The Verge mentions the older models will receive a UI update later this year