Ecobee Officially Announce Their New Smart Thermostat
Ecobee, the Smart Thermostat manufacturer, has officially announced their next generation of Smart Thermostats. Officially, because last week the ‘cat was accidentally let out of the bag’, when Lowes (Canada) preemptively published all the details of the new product, before swiftly removing them again. This new device follows on from the Ecobee 4, although the naming convention has changed now, with the new device being simply called the ‘SmartThermostat’.
To mark the difference, Ecobee states the new version has been totally re-engineered and redesigned. The biggest or perhaps the only notable visual difference, at first glance is the new all-glass front. Previous iterations were plastic. However, the internals has had some serious upgrades, one of which is that it now works with 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi networks. Additionally, there’s a new and improved built-in speaker to stream music from various sources, although unsurprisingly, Airplay 2 and Apple Music are not currently supported. To complement the new thermostat, the company have also unveiled a new sensor, with a similar naming convention, so branded as the ‘SmartSensor’. The new Thermostat includes one of these sensors as standard, although you can buy additional sensors separately.
The new ecobee SmartThermostat can be purchased from amazon.com now for US$249.00.
#Press Release#
Pioneered to Perfection: Introducing The New ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control
TORONTO – June 3, 2019 – Redesigned and reengineered, ecobee today introduced a new smart thermostat for the digital age. The new ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control will help people reduce their energy consumption, save money and stay in control while home or away – all while enhancing the way they experience comfort and convenience. ecobee’s flagship thermostat combines hardware and software enhancements to deliver home automation that is easy to enjoy. By infusing more power, improved communications capabilities, and a more robust set of features and functions, ecobee’s most powerful smart thermostat yet signals a new era for the company and sets a new precedent for category excellence.
“We see the smart home emerging as an oasis where great technology can fade into the background and free you from the chaos of everyday life.” said ecobee President and CEO, Stuart Lombard. “We’ve designed the new ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control to be the foundation of that vision. It’s packed with more power than ever before to deliver a best-in-class user experience and effortlessly connect you to the solutions and services you love, but also work quietly in the background so you can focus on the things – and people – that matter most.“
Redesigned and Reengineered
Building on ecobee’s iconic squircle shape and clean sculptural design, the fifth-generation ecobee SmartThermostat marries unprecedented processing capabilities with the infallible ease of use users have come to expect from the brand. A crisp glass finish and LCD screen offer a vivid colour display and enhanced touchscreen sensitivity for intuitive control. Supercharged with a powerful quad-core processor, the new ecobee SmartThermostat enables advanced machine learning and AI for improved natural language processing and speech detection. The device also boasts three times the speed and rock-solid reliability, with 2.4 GHz and 5GHz support for dual-band Wi-Fi. With this kind of power, speed and connectivity, there is no limit to what the new ecobee SmartThermostat can bring to users’ homes.
Advanced Sensor Technology
The new ultra-refined ecobee SmartSensor completes the experience and unlocks the potential of the ecobee SmartThermostat. Featuring a new state-of-the-art industrial design and an enhanced wide-angle detection range, SmartSensor is made for optimal motion sensing and temperature detection. Plus with extended five-year battery life and new pairing range of up to 60 feet, SmartSensor offers improved reliability, connectivity and distance detection.
Bigger, Better Sound
The ecobee SmartThermostat features a powerful new speaker with twice the intensity of its predecessor offering richer sound and a wider dynamic range, delivering an audio experience that users would never expect from a smart thermostat. Users can listen to podcasts, playlists or news directly from their SmartThermostat or they can stream to a high-quality speaker thanks to new Bluetooth support. ecobee SmartThermostat is compatible with Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, TuneIn and for the first time – Spotify.
Intuitive Control
Amplify the power of voice with built-in Amazon Alexa and added support for Alexa Calling, Messaging and Drop-in. Use voice to control the temperature, make a call, send a message, or connect through other Alexa-enabled devices. ecobee has moved audio processing from analogue to digital microphones, meaning improved wake word detection, echo-spatial participation, signal to noise ratio and echo cancellation. All this combined delivers a communication experience one would never expect from a smart thermostat. Plus control the ecobee SmartThermostat from anywhere with the ecobee mobile app available on iOS or Android devices including Apple Watch.
Engineered for Energy Savings
ecobee remains committed to its founding principle of planet positive innovation and continues to prioritize solutions that offer families easy ways to help fight climate change at home. Consistent with all ecobee smart thermostats, this next generation product is Energy Star certified and can help customers save up to 23%* annually on their heating or cooling costs. The new ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control is one small change that can make a big impact.
Pricing, Availability and Compatibility
Beginning June 3, 2019, the new ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control ($249 USD) will be available to purchase on ecobee.com, through select retail partners including Amazon, Lowes, HomeDepot and Best Buy, or an ecobee certified installer. The device comes with one SmartSensor in the box with additional sensors available for purchase in packs of two for $79. Additional in-home compatibility information is available at ecobee.com/compatibility.
ecobee is dedicated to maintaining an open ecosystem, and like all ecobee products, the new SmartThermostat with voice control integrates with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, SmartThings and IFTTT.
About
ecobee empowers people to transform their lives, homes, communities and planet through innovative technologies that are accessible and affordable. The company introduced the world’s first smart Wi-Fi thermostat in 2007 to help millions of people save energy and money without compromising on comfort. ecobee has since continued to expand its suite of technologies and services to deliver a state-of-the-art connected home experience to customers across North America. ecobee products combine the company’s pioneering sensor technology with the power of voice, machine learning and artificial intelligence to help customers control their home’s comfort and energy consumption while effortlessly connecting them to the online streaming and service platforms they love. For more information, visit ecobee.com
