Google’s big hardware event isn’t until next month, but the leaks have already begun. This time showing pricing for a new “Google Nest wifi Pro 6E Router” courtesy of B&H Photo.
The online store lists various colors and combo packs starting at $199.99, each labeled as “new item — coming soon.” In other words, coming as early as October 6th when this pro version of the Nest wifi is expected to be announced at the Made By Google event.
Unfortunately, the listings don’t include any photos or specs, but we’re not totally in the dark here. We previously saw details for what we expect to be called the “Nest wifi Pro” in an FCC listing that mentioned Bluetooth Low Energy and Thread mesh networking radios (for Matter), in addition to 6GHz wifi 6E support for reduced signal interference and faster speeds.
The premature B&H listings mention a $299.99 2-pack bundle, $399.99 3-pack bundle, and colors that mimic other Nest products, including “Snow,” “Fog,” “Linen,” and “Lemongrass.” We expect this Pro model to co-exist with the Nest wifi, which lists for $169 but can often be had for less.
Works with Nest was a schedule that authorized third-party devices to intercommunicate with Nest products, like virtual assistants having many third-party home automation platforms. Further, many intelligent device manufacturers directly integrate with the Nest platform, including Whirlpool and GE Appliances.
Google Nest is a line of innovative home products, including smart speakers, displays, streaming devices, thermostats, smoke detectors, routers, and security systems, including smart doorbells, cameras, and intelligent locks.
Nest Labs initially owned the Nest brand name, co-founded by former Apple engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers in 2010. Its flagship product, the company’s first offering, is the Nest Learning Thermostat, introduced in 2011. The product is sensor-driven, programmable, self-learning, and Wi-Fi-enabled: features often encountered in other Nest products.
Users are being led to migrate to Google accounts and Google Assistant integration; doing so will terminate the ability to use Works with Nest. Google expressed that this change was for security and privacy reasons, as third-party devices may only merge with the Nest ecosystem via Google Assistant.
As a result, they will be heavily limited in the amount of personal data and access devices they will have entry to. In addition, Google stated that it would give “a small number of thoroughly vetted partners” access to additional data.
The change faced objection for potentially resulting in an upset of functionality: vendors such as Lutron and SimpliSafe reported that their products’ integration with the Nest platform would be affected by this change. However, at the exact time, Google explicitly called IFTTT a service that could not be merged due to the amount of access it would need.
Affected devices include Lutron lights, August Home, Philips Hue, Logitech Harmony, and Belkin Wemo switches. Furthermore, This change created a closed platform and would lead to intelligent home market fragmentation by potentially blocking integration with products that directly contest those of Google.