Honeywell is looking to jump back to the top of the smart thermostat sector after Google Nest took away much of its lead by marketing and getting massive media coverage of their smart home devices, even though Honeywell had been the top innovator and leader in smart thermostats.
Now, Honeywell is launching a product aimed at booting Google from the top spot in the smart home sector. Its thought the new connected thermostat should bring Honeywell back into the lead.
Honeywell's Lyric is the company's latest release. It has all the functionality that one would expect with a smart thermostat, but its sizeable display and simple round body has many thinking it could be a game changer. Add, on top of that, it boasts an innovative proximity sensor. Honeywell appears to have one-upped Google Nest.
When a user gets close enough to Lyric, the screen automatically turns on but it remains off the remainder of the time, so at home you won't have to constantly be dealing with that pesky orange light that signals the device is functioning properly.
The Lyric app is available on both iOS and Android and allows users to adjust temperatures and program scheduled temperature increases or decreases based on one's GPS location. This means that as you approach your home, you can have the thermostat turned on in order to set the temperature of your home so it's ready when you get there.
"Most people don't have a predictable pattern to how they live their lives; why not have a thermostat that adjusts based on your real-time schedule?" says Beth Wozniak, president of Honeywell Environmental and Combustion Controls, in a press release from the company.
"With the Lyric thermostat's geofencing capability, my house returns to my preferred comfort setting when I'm within a few miles from home. Quite simply, the Lyric thermostat offers me the ability to keep my life in tune -- delivering comfort when I'm home and savings when I'm gone."
On top of that, Honeywell's new device will give regular notifications of when a filter needs to be changed or the furnace should be serviced. This will also allow the user to get in touch with Honeywell directly to schedule any maintenance with a certified professional.
Lyric is currently available through licensed contractors, but consumers can purchase one this August for around $279.
