European expansion helps Nest's smart home grow
Nest products will soon be available in Spain, Italy, Germany and Austria.
Google/Alphabet's smart home brand, Nest , today announced a retail expansion to Spain, Italy, Germany and Austria. While Nest products are used in over 190 countries, they were previously only sold in the US, UK, Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland and the Netherlands. Adding four more countries to its official retail roster could increase its presence in the European smart home market.
But not so fast. The availability of Nest's thermostat, smoke and carbon monoxide detector, indoor camera and outdoor camera (video below) will vary by country. Here's an overview of Nest's planned product rollout, straight from the official press release:
- Spain -- The Nest Learning Thermostat , Nest Cam Indoor, and Nest Cam Outdoor is available from Amazon , Media Markt and El Corte Inglés for preorder today.
- Italy -- The Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Cam Indoor and Nest Cam Outdoor are available from Amazon, Media World and ePrice for preorder today.
- Germany and Austria -- Nest Protect smoke + carbon monoxide alarm, Nest Cam Indoor and Nest Cam Outdoor is available from Amazon, Media Markt and Conrad for preorder today. The Nest Learning Thermostat is expected to be available later this year.
The good news is that most products are available for preorder starting now with shipping slated for mid-February. Customers in Germany and Austria will have to wait a little longer for the Nest Learning Thermostat, though.
A Nest spokesperson told us the Nest Smart Home Skill on the Alexa app is a "global integration," meaning new customers in countries where Nest products and the Amazon Echo , Echo Dot and Tap are sold should be able to control their thermostat with Alexa voice commands.
Nest also has its own smart home platform and its parent company, Google , manufacturers and sells Amazon Echo competitor, the Google Home . The Google Home is currently only sold in the United States, but its Google Assistant voice control software is available on select Android phones such as the Pixel and Pixel XL -- both phones are available in Germany. Be sure to check out CNET's Nest and Google Home/Google Assistant compatibility pages to find even more products that might work with Nest in your country.
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