ecobee has been one of the premiere smart thermostat brands around here for HomeKit users for quite some time. The brand doesn’t often upgrade its lineup the way some do – if it aint broke don’t fix it? – but today it is introducing a new, more affordable model to the lineup to essentially replace the aging $150 Ecobee3 Lite. The ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential lands with a lower MSRP while still delivering on most of the feature set that has made the brand what is. Scope out the details below.
ecobee unveils more affordable new HomeKit Smart Thermostat Essential
The ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is very much what it sounds like – a lower cost solution than its premium model will still delivering that attractive ecobee aesthetic and intelligent control over your home’s HVAC system.
It sports a full-color touchscreen alongside intelligent features that allow it to learn how long it takes to heat up or cool down your space, ensuring you’re not spending more than you need to while still arriving home at your ideal temperature without manual intervention.
Through convenient scheduling and comfort settings, the thermostat adapts to any household’s routine to help optimize energy use while away and maintain comfort while at home. It automatically learns how long it takes to heat and cool the home, delivering the desired temperature precisely when customers want it.
It can, much like the other models in the lineup, link up with the brand’s optional ecobee SmartSensors to provide Hyperlocal temperature readings in various rooms and areas of your home, allowing for it to even more accurately make adjustments to heating/cooling tasks.
The new Essential links up with the brand’s mobile app so “customers can control the heating and cooling of their home from anywhere” alongside alerts that are automatically sent to customers if the unit detects any issues, further helping to “prevent heating and cooling disruptions.” The new Home energy Reports feature provides “insights and opportunities to improve energy efficiency and savings.”
The brand says the new model is Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant compatible, but there is, sadly, no mention of Matter support just yet (although it is apparently on the way, eventually). Much like the main difference between the premium model and the existing entry-models, it does not have onboard Siri (you can only Siri through connected smart devices and your phone buy the sounds of it).
The new ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential is scheduled to be available for purchase at all major retailers come March 2025 with a $129.99 MSRP.
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