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Nest's first video doorbell, the Nest Hello, is now available

There's also a new connected lock and a temperature sensor to keep every room in your home comfy.

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Published onMarch 16, 2018

Nest is finally entering the video doorbell product category with the new Nest Hello. Announced back in September, it works similarly to competing doorbells, but with a few tricks up its sleeve. The video camera can shoot a continuous stream of high-definition HDR video, including night vision. It has a 4:3 aspect ratio, so users can have a fullscreen view of who’s at their door. Notably, the doorbell will detect when someone is at the door, indicating its presence with a pulsating ring. And with Nest Aware service, the camera can even notify users if it’s a stranger or a friendly face.

Nest Hello comes with a speaker and mic, similar to competing products, so that users can interact with guests. What makes this stand out is the ability to set pre-recorded messages. For example, users can set the doorbell to say “Just a moment, we’ll be right there,” if they’re unable to answer right away. It’s a nifty feature that can even help tackle package theft. Especially considering that it will notify users of any approaching persons, even before they ring the doorbell.

And being a Google-owned company, the Nest Hello works with Google Assistant-enabled hardware. This way users can tell their Google Home to show who’s at the front door, or Google can just announce who’s there. Available commands include the following:

“What’s on <doorbell name>?”
“Show the <doorbell name>”
“Show the <doorbell name> on <Chromecast name>”

Another first for Nest is a new connected lock. Dubbed the Nest x Yale Lock, the device is the result of a partnership with top lock manufacturer, Yale. It allows users to remotely lock and unlock their doors using the Nest app. Additionally, users can set different passcodes for trusted people, and even have them expire after a set amount of time. This is a nifty feature for those who rent their homes out through services like Airbnb. And it will lock automatically when it detects that users are away, giving them peace of mind.

Nest Hello and the Nest x Yale Lock are sold separately, although they’re obviously meant to be used in tandem. The ability to remotely lock and unlock your door is greatly aided when you can actually see who’s there. Nest says that voice capabilities are not yet available for the lock, but it is being looked into. The idea is that eventually users can ask Google Home whether or not their door is locked. There are no plans, however, to let customers unlock their doors using voice control.

Lastly, Nest has introduced a temperature sensor, a product long sought by Nest customers. Working in tandem with the company’s thermostats, it can help users set the temperature in various rooms where it’s usually too cold or too hot. Users can choose when to prioritize certain rooms, such as when they’re usually occupied.

Nest Hello is available on Nest.com or at Best Buy, Lowe’s, and Home Depot. The Nest x Yale Lock is only available online, while the Nest Temperature Sensor is currently up for pre-order.

This post was first published on Dgit.com.