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Google Announces End Date for Original Nest Thermostat Support

This is so stupid. A thermostat has always lasted for so long, now I "have" to buy a new one after they'll inevitably start making the one I have work not as efficient. This a not a start up company, they can afford to keep this going. The only reason I like mine is because I can turn it on from outside or anywhere for that matter. So actually, I dont mind changing because I know there are other companies who can offer the same feature. Other than they they all do the same thing.
 
I've never understood the whole "learning thermostat" thing.i don't use any of the auto stuff on my ecobee. all of its settings are triggered by my HomeKit automations which I change once a year for heat in the wintering cool in the summer. I hate when the thermostat does anything on its own
 
hagar said:
As an Apple guy, I don’t have any Google products. Except 2 thermostats and 5 protects.

This is simply unacceptable. The hardware is still fine. Unplugging the service is a disgusting move, only triggering more landfills and causing distrust.

Never Google again!
Nest is dead.
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When we bought our house we invested in everything Google since Apple didn't have anything of their own brand. So we bought their protects, security system, door lock, doorbell camera, indoor and outdoor cameras, and thermostat. A few years ago Google announced they were killing their security system and it would no longer work. Why?! Charge a small yearly fee for it for the upkeep, but no...just shut down the servers. It was such a pain finding a system that worked well (like their security system). I'm just waiting on Apple to release their own branded cameras, security system, and thermostat. I keep hoping that they are investing on Home products so I can get rid of Google once and for all....
 
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BreuerEditor said:
When we bought our house we invested in everything Google since Apple didn't have anything of their own brand. So we bought their protects, security system, door lock, doorbell camera, indoor and outdoor cameras, and thermostat. A few years ago Google announced they were killing their security system and it would no longer work. Why?! Charge a small yearly fee for it for the upkeep, but no...just shut down the servers. It was such a pain finding a system that worked well (like their security system). I'm just waiting on Apple to release their own branded cameras, security system, and thermostat. I keep hoping that they are investing on Home products so I can get rid of Google once and for all....
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I understand the frustration. Because Apple left the router market I ended up going with the Google version and I did the same with the thermostat.
 
stocklen said:
You purchase a product in good faith and reasonably expect it to last years.
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Google stopped selling the second generation Nest Thermostat models 10 years ago, so anyone who bought one would have gotten 10 years or more of service out of the device. The Nest Protect smoke alarms have a sealed 10 year battery backup and must be discarded after 10 years to meet fire codes (this is true of all wired and non-wired smoke/CO alarms and is part of building codes, at least in North America). Google will be supporting the remaining Nest Protects through their 10 year lifespans.
 
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This is just yet another example of planned obsolescence.

Thermostats are not smartphones or laptops. They are not the type of device people should have to worry about replacing every 5 years or even every 15 years. This is right up there with "your refrigerator is no longer getting security updates so you should just buy a new one." The e-waste we generate with planned obsolescence of phones and computers is already insane (looking at you, Microsoft!), but if we're going to enter a world where your home appliances are e-wasted every 5, 10, or even 15 years for no reason other than the company wants you to buy a new one and doesn't want to do anything to support an older model (even opening up the firmware perhaps?), that's a really ugly world.

In any case, I thought the thermostat was running its "learning" algorithms locally. This suggests that the only thing the thermostat is really doing with the cloud is letting you change the settings from your phone. I suspect that once Google bought Nest, they decided to redo all the protocols, and they really just want to wash their hands of anything "pre-Google". (You see this all the time in large corporate acquisitions - yes, it's at least partly an ego thing.) The easy solution here would be to either 1) offer a final firmware update that enables proper Matter-over-WiFi support so people can use it on their own HA/OpenHAB/etc installations, or 2) just unlock the bootloader so that the community can step in with custom firmware and maintenance. Not doing either of those two things is all the proof you need that this is purely a move to drive sales and to further cement the unnecessarily disposable nature of modern tech.
 
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I was an intern at Nest as an Industrial Designer in the 2012-2013 era. I remember getting the prototype manufacturing sample if the solid piece of Aluminum for the second gen. Felt like we were at a little Apple. I was so sad when google bought them because I knew Google didn't know what to do with them.

I installed a forced air system a few years ago and put in a Nest. Now it's obsolete. cool. The new Thermostat doesn't even look like the old design. it's horrible IMO.
 
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This happened to me with my Skydrop irrigation controller. I bought it for the connected features, and they eventually changed their business model and required a monthly subscription, and then ultimately went out of business. Pretty pathetic, honestly. I love the convenience of smart, connected devices, but this is the inherent downside, you never fully own your product.
 
We were going to replace with Ecobee, but our system doesn't have one connection that you need for it. So annoying that they are stopping support.
Since we use the system all the time (turning on heat or air when we travel) we ended up ordering the new one, but I'm not happy about it.
 
fmillion said:
This is just yet another example of planned obsolescence.

Thermostats are not smartphones or laptops. They are not the type of device people should have to worry about replacing every 5 years or even every 15 years. This is right up there with "your refrigerator is no longer getting security updates so you should just buy a new one." The e-waste we generate with planned obsolescence of phones and computers is already insane (looking at you, Microsoft!), but if we're going to enter a world where your home appliances are e-wasted every 5, 10, or even 15 years for no reason other than the company wants you to buy a new one and doesn't want to do anything to support an older model (even opening up the firmware perhaps?), that's a really ugly world...
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Agreed... The environmental consequences of these kinds of decisions make me incredibly sad.

I feel like there's an opportunity for Apple to step in with some kind of expanded electronics recycling program for product discounts, but honestly, they'd then have to account for so many makes/models/configurations that it would likely cost more than it would sell for them.

I'm personally content to put all of my old electronics in a box that I periodically take to a recycling facility, but I don't think every municipality has one of these, and not everyone considers doing this. The number of these things that are going to wind up in landfill over the next 2 years just hurts to consider.
 
I don't expect support to last forever, but what does this really cost the company to continue supporting? I would like that justified to help me make a better informed decision about HOW I will support a company moving forward. This isn't a short term investment. Something to be tossed out every 5-8 years depending on the whims of a company.

This is nothing more than a money grab - but at this time, I am not married to any 'home-automation' universe and I have choices - so guess I will exercise that choice and start ripping/replacing my GOOGLE devices.
 
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I have the original Nest before Goooogle took over. I was disappointed when the Big G bought Nest as I did not want to part of the Big G system. The Nest and YouTube are my only uses for the Big G. I have kept with the Big G and now very very disappointed with the Big G. I will miss the remote control but don't use it often. At some point the Nest days are numbered but not yet.

Maybe the Big G is discontinuing support for the original Nest because they can't show ads on it because after all the Big G is an advertising company.
 
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AgeOfSpiracles said:
Is there any hope of a community developed replacement for the cloud services?
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fmillion said:
This is just yet another example of planned obsolescence.

The easy solution here would be to either 1) offer a final firmware update that enables proper Matter-over-WiFi support so people can use it on their own HA/OpenHAB/etc installations, or 2) just unlock the bootloader so that the community can step in with custom firmware and maintenance.
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This isn't that dumb an idea. Tony Fadell got a buttload of cash for Nest, he should buy the rights for the Nest produced products back for pennies on the dollar and set up a PC in his house that allows us to all still communicate from our Nest Apps to our houses.

My understanding is that to root a Nest Thermostat all that is required is 15sec and a USB mini cord plugged between it and a laptop, so we don't even REALLY need Google. Just someone to write a similar app and the code to point our Nests at the new (non-Google) server and we are back in business.
 
I don't think there exists any connected, premium option that doesn't have an issue going forward. Works with Alexa or Google assistant? Well, if LG TVs are anything to go by, Google assistant is getting dropped like it's hot. Best to wait this one out until the dust settles and stuff supports Gemini. Alexa and Siri/homekit are a no-go for me.
 
J___o___h___n said:
From a company valued at over $800 billion, this is outrageous.

There is no reasonable reason for this. Their servers are still active for the newer models. They are a company still in-profit. Remotely killing a devices key selling point is not on!

I will NEVER buy a Google product again - Ever. It is just not worth the short turn investment.

I will keep my Nest thermostats installed and use them manually as a constant reminder to never buy form them again.
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I've slowly been moving off Google products entirely. Just transitioned over to Apple Maps last year. My gmail is now considered my "tainted" email that I use mainly for situations where I know I will receive spam.
 
This kind of thing isn't just a Google problem. Far too many otherwise totally usable devices become landfill because they've become "unsupported".

I don't expect to see this anytime soon, but really as many things as possible should be designed for open standards so that you can keep using your garage door opener or your connected refrigerator or thermostat, no matter whether the manufacturer abandons it or gets acquired and killed by the likes of Google or Amazon or whatever.
 
I don’t understand why anyone would buy anything from Google anymore. They just prove time and time again that they are unable to create a sustainable ecosystem. Stick to search guys: it’s the only thing you’re good at.
 
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