Wyze only recently announced its first pair of over-ear headphones and a video doorbell, and the company is continuing its foray into new product categories. It has just unveiled the Wyze Thermostat, a $50 smart thermostat that can be automated via the Wyze app and controlled with voice assistants. It's available for pre-order and will ship in December.
The company first started working on the thermostat a year ago and is finally ready to bring it to the market. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's much more affordable than many competing products. The thermostat itself consists of a small screen that shows the desired temperature and a dial that lets you adjust it on the go. A proximity sensor automatically lights up the display when you approach the device, and two thermometers ensure that the thermostat is always reading the right temperatures.
You'll find all of the smarts in the Wyze app, where you can set up daily schedules, track your energy usage, and control the temperature on the fly from anywhere. You can alternatively talk to Alexa to adjust the heating, and Google Assistant support is "coming soon." The app also has a step-by-step guide for DIY installation.
Some features are only coming in "early 2021," though. The thermostat will receive auto-scheduling, a mode that will monitor your preferences and create automatic schedules to maximize savings without compromising on comfort. "Feels-like" temperature, air filter reminders, and Smart Radiance (a feature that pre-heats your radiator based on when you want your home to be warm) are coming next year, too.
Wyze is also introducing climate sensors that you can place in other rooms to monitor cold spots and to dial in room-to-room temperature differences, if you don't want your bedroom to be as warm as your living room, for example. These sensors will come in early 2021 and will be sold separately.
As always, Wyze is trying its best to undercut the competition in price while still offering a compelling, complete product. Compared to competitors like the $139 Nest Thermostat E or the 9 Nest Learning Thermostat, the Wyze product doesn't seem to omit too much, especially once the promised 2021 features roll out. Let's hope the thermostat is equally reliable and that Wyze isn't using third-party software to implement any smarts, as relying on a partner proved to be a mistake for the Wyze Cam.
The Wyze Thermostat is up for pre-order on the Wyze website, where it's available for $50. It'll ship in December 2020, so you'll have to make do with your current heating solution until then. There's also a compatibility checker you should consult before blindly buying the thermostat.