Google 4th-Gen Nest Learning Thermostat and Google TV Streamer: Specs, Features, Price, Release Date

Nine years have passed since Google introduced the third-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, but the wait for the fourth-generation model is finally over. Today, the company unveiled its latest smart thermostat. It arrives on the same day as a next-gen version of Google's iconic Chromecast streaming dongle—now called the Google TV Streamer.

Both devices have a bit of artificial intelligence spruced in—Google Assistant is getting some assistance from the company's Gemini large language model—along with long-awaited hardware improvements and elegant designs that better blend the tech into your home. They arrive just a week before the Made by Google event on August 13, where the company is expected to announce new Pixel phones, smartwatches, and earbuds.

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Fresh Streaming

Google has sold more than 100 million Chromecasts since 2013. Anish Kattukaran, head of product at Google Home and Nest, says that while the dongle served the need of the previous generation of streaming fans, the new Google TV Streamer is future-facing. Instead of a small dongle hiding behind your screen, it's a slim elongated oval device designed to rest on a media console. It comes in two colors, porcelain and hazel, though the latter is a Google Store exclusive.

On the back of the Streamer are several ports where you can connect cables for Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, and USB-C for power. A gentle curve on the back of the device blocks any wires from sight. There's also a button that, once pressed, makes an audible ping on the remote to help you find it. (It's probably between the couch cushions.) The remote looks similar to the one included with the previous generation Chromecast With Google TV, but slightly longer. Some buttons have moved to be more ergonomic; volume, for example, is now on the front rather than the edge of the remote. Also new is a customizable button that can open your favorite app or Google's Home Panel.