Ecobee4: The Smart Thermostat Will Be Available for Pre-order Soon
Last week, Toronto-based Ecobee announced its next-generation Ecobee4 smart thermostat It comes with built-in Amazon Alexa voice services. The Ecobee4 continues to support Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, and Samsung’s smart home platform SmartThings, like the Ecobee3, did. Ecobee3 also works with Alexa, but it can only be controlled by voice using external devices such as the Amazon Echo. While the Ecobee4, in addition to having a touchscreen and smartphone control, has Alexa built right in with far-field voice technology. This way it can hear you from across the room.
Convincing Sensors.
The Ecobee4’s design isn’t very convincing. But it has a touchscreen display that is easy to use and fast to respond. The Ecobee4 relies on a remote sensor. The sensor is complete with temperature and motion/proximity detection. The sensor makes it easier to determine if someone’s home or away. It’s also a nice accessory for tracking rooms with hot or cold spots.
Power Extender Kit.
A Power Extender Kit (PEK) comes with your Ecobee4 purchase. This thermostat requires a C-wire to operate. You can use the PEK to add in the extra wire’s functionality without rewiring your entire HVAC system.
Things Ecobee4 Does.
- Room Sensors on the Ecobee4 help manage hot and cold spots of your home. This way it delivers comfort to rooms that matter most.
- It comes with built-in Alexa Voice Service built in. You can ask your ecobee to set a timer, read you the news, adjust the temperature, and more.
- Ecobee 4 comes with far-field voice technology. This means your Ecobee4 can hear you from across the room.
- On Ecobee4, you can easily adjust temperature and comfort settings from your Android and iOS devices.
- You can save an average 23% on heating and cooling costs each year.
- Ecobee4 ensures you’re comfortable by using thousands of data points to adjust your home to the right temperature.
- Get free monthly reports on how much energy you’ve saved. You also get tips on how you can save even more.
- It is hardwired for reliability. This means Ecobee doesn’t steal power from equipment to charge itself.
- It has the fast and easy installation that you can do yourself. You can use the handy step-by-step guide right on your phone.
- It connects with your accessories. This way it manages your humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and ventilators.
Easy to Connect.
Connecting your Ecobee4 to Wi-Fi is as easy as downloading the related app for Android and iPhone. You can do this by following the step-by-step instructions. It should only take a few minutes. Once the thermostat is connected to your local network, you can easily access it from the mobile or web app. You have access to the same features in both apps. But the web app’s home screen provides a better overview at a glance.
The Ecobee4 doubles as an Alexa speaker, instead of simply integrating with an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot or Tap speaker. Adding smart home integrations takes a little longer than the initial configuration. But it’s still very straightforward.
Just One Drawback.
It has one limitation. It doesn’t have Amazon’s Echo Spatial Perception (ESP) feature. So it will respond to your command even if other Alexa speakers are nearby. Also, a built-in Alexa speaker might not make sense if your thermostat is located in a remote hallway. But otherwise, it’s a very useful integration.
Smartest Thermostat Available.
In the United States, Ecobee4 is now available to pre-order for $249 on its website. Pre-orders are estimated to start shipping on May 15. That is the day it will hit shelves at Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Best Buy. The Ecobee4 is the best smart thermostat available in the market.
Dhruvil is a Writer & Marketeer for Nimblechapps, joined in December 2014, based out of Sydney, Australia. He has worked briefly as a Branding and Digital Marketing Manager before moving to Australia. At Nimblechapps, he worked on Social Media Marketing, Branding, Email Marketing and Blogging. Dhruvil studies Business at University of Western Sydney, and also handles Operations for the company in Australia.