Google’s latest blog post lastly offers a minimal public assist timeline for all of its “Google Nest” sensible dwelling merchandise. The corporate has dedicated to supporting all Google Nest merchandise with “vital bug fixes and patches” for at the very least 5 years.
Inconsistent branding signifies that it has been robust to pin down Google’s definition of “Google Nest” merchandise, however the firm now has a support page that helpfully spells out each included mannequin. Right this moment’s announcement applies to the Nest Audio audio system, Nest Hub sensible shows, Nest Thermostats, Nest Defend smoke detector, Nest cameras, Nest Wi-Fi, the discontinued Nest Safe alarm system, the Nest x Yale lock, and fewer apparent units just like the Google Dwelling sensible audio system (which have been changed by Nest Audio), Google Wi-Fi (changed by Nest Wi-Fi), and the complete Chromecast line, together with the new Google TV dongle.
Something on this checklist may last more than 5 years, however a couple of notable merchandise will probably be hitting the tip of their assured assist timelines quickly. The unique Google Dwelling sensible speaker, which launched in 2016, will hit the tip of its assured life in November of this yr, whereas the Dwelling Mini and the discontinued Home Max may very well be shut down as early as late subsequent yr. Dumb audio system can final for many years, so hopefully these merchandise will get higher than bare-minimum assist.
All these previous merchandise may carry on trucking by working related software program nonetheless being maintained for present merchandise, however of specific concern is the Nest Secure, Google’s first and solely dwelling safety system. The product lasted from 2017 to 2020, and with its discontinuation, Google has left the house safety market. Google now has no industrial cause to proceed to develop the software program, and the corporate stated to not expect any new options going ahead. With as we speak’s announcement, we now know that the Nest Safe will proceed to work and get safety updates till at the very least November 2022. The product depends on the Google Cloud to work, so I might not put cash on it lasting for much longer than that.
A lot of Nest merchandise are properly over this five-year assist window and nonetheless work. Most of the Nest Thermostats are very previous, and whereas a Google support page says the final software program replace for many fashions was launched in 2019, even the 2011 mannequin nonetheless works. Nest Protects, the smoke detectors, have a hard self-destruct date programmed into them—seven years for the primary mannequin, launched in 2013, and 10 years for the second-gen mannequin launched in 2015. That is apparently one thing UL (Underwriter’s Labs) certification calls for of all carbon monoxide alarms.
5 years of assist is fairly middle-of-the-road for Google. At the moment, Pixel Android telephones are supported for 3 years (which isn’t even at the top of the Android market anymore), whereas Chromebooks get up to eight years of updates.
