Honeywell Shows Off New Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat

I don't think anybody really gave their thermostat much thought before Nest unveiled its cool little round Wi-Fi programmable unit. That Nest thermostat really kicked off a market for cool programmable thermostat that you to connect to them using your mobile device or computer. Honeywell has now announced a new Wi-Fi programmable thermostat that aims to compete with the Nest offering.

The thermostat is called the Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat and it uses a design that allows homeowners to customize the thermostat to match their home decor. The bezel of the thermostat appears to be metallic silver. The customization comes in being able to choose from a number of colors and patterns for the background of the LCD screen.

The device has a touchscreen and is able to send mobile and e-mail alerts to notify you if the home is too hot or too cold or if the humidity level gets too high or too low. The thermostat can also send you messages to let you know when it's time to change the filter or if the power at your house goes out. Alerts are also built-in to notify you if you lose Internet connectivity at home.

The thermostat also has Smart Response technology allowing it to learn how long it takes to heat and cool a home allowing it to maintain the temperature homeowners want all the time. What that means is if the thermostat knows you leave home at 7:30 each day, it can turn off the air conditioning to save you money. The device will also know that it takes three hours to cool your home back down to the comfortable 72° you prefer and if you get home at 6:00, it will begin to cool your home down at 3:00. The thermostat interfaces with a free smartphone app available in the iTunes Store and Google Play. The Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat will be available across the country in May for $249.

[via Honeywell]