LAS VEGAS — When it comes to the smart home, there are two key players right now: Apple and Nest, the latter of which is owned by Google. While plenty of smart lock and thermostat makers are starting to support Apple’s HomeKit, the “Works with Nest” family is also growing.
Today Nest announced that over a dozen brands have signed on to work with its famed thermostat. Besides already supported partners like Dropcam (also owned by Google), Nest now integrates with the August smart lock, Automatic driving assistant, LG appliances, Philips Hue smart lights, Withings Aura sleep system, and more.
So what does it actually mean for your Nest thermostat to work with all this stuff? It’s actually more practical than you think. With the August or Kevo smart lock, Nest can know when you’re home or away and adjust the temperature. With the Automatic dongle in your car, it can warm up the house before you even get out of the garage. Nest also makes a smoke detector, and when it senses that something is wrong, connected Phillips Hue lights can pulse to warn you.
It’s clear that Nest is betting heavily on being not just a smart device, but a robust smart home platform. More partners will add themselves as Nest partners in the coming months. This is the time for platforms to put their stakes in the ground, because like iOS vs. Android, people will ultimately choose one ecosystem over the other.
