Alphabet-owned company Nest is going to pull the plug on the Revolv smart home hub and app on May 15, rendering the hardware unusable next month.
Just to be clear on how much of a big deal this is, the company isn't only out to stop support but to really disable the device and turn the hub into a $300 teardrop-shaped brick. How much does a pitchfork go for nowadays?
Anyway, what happened here is that it looks like the whole Works with Nest deal recently got a lot better, and apparently, Revolv can no longer be included in the mix.
"Revolv was a great first step into the connected home. It wasn't perfect, but we worked hard to make something we – and other smart people – could build on ... Now Works with Nest is turning into something more secure, more useful and just flat-out better than anything Revolv created," the founders of Revolv says.
They continue to say that they are "pouring all their energy into Works with Nest," so it's understandable why support will stop in a little more than a month. However, that doesn't explain why the $300 piece of hardware has to become a grim reminder of when the Revolv hub turned into an expensive paperweight.
Needless to say, existing users are outraged by the development, and they have very good reason to be so.
"When software and hardware are intertwined, does a warranty mean you stop supporting the hardware or does it mean that the manufacturer can intentionally disable it without consequence? Tony Fadell seems to believe the latter. Tony believes he has the right to reach into your home and pull the plug on your Nest products," Arlo Gilbert, CEO of Televero and formerly proud owner of a Revolv hub, says, emphasizing that "Google is intentionally bricking hardware that he owns."
For those who don't know, Fadell is the founder and CEO of Nest Labs.
To make things right, Nest will have to provide a replacement for the Revolv owners or offer a refund at least, but what's even better is to just skip the entire "I'm gonna brick your device in a month" shindig.
As a little refresher, Nest acquired Revolv back in October 2014, bringing it under the Alphabet corporate umbrella. The home automation startup stopped accommodating new customers and selling devices at that point.
