Why Google killing old Nest devices is good for Matter

If you own a Nest thermostat, Google has bad news for you: older devices, from the first and second generation, are being retired. This means Google will stop supporting them, potentially resulting in a quick trip to the landfill.

However, it’s not all bad news. For one, Google is offering a discount for replacements. Meanwhile, Google has also announced its exit from the European smart thermostat market. So, what is going on, and what does it have to do with Matter?

Those retired Nest thermostats

From October 2025, Google will end software updates for these three Nest models:

• Nest Learning Thermostat (1st gen, 2011)

• Nest Learning Thermostat (2nd gen, 2012)

• Nest Learning Thermostat (2nd gen, Europe version, 2014)

Controls for temperature, mode, and schedules will continue to be adjusted on the Nest thermostat. However, the Nest app, the Home app, and Google Assistant will no longer be able to manage the thermostat.

You can confirm in your Nest app whether the device is set to be retired, but as a quick rule of thumb, an older Nest has a smaller screen. First and second gen devices have a 1.8-inch display, compared to the 3.25-inch display of the third gen Nests and beyond.

Is Google replacing the retired Nests?

Yes, in a way. In the USA, you can get a $130 discount on the fourth generation Nest Learning Thermostat (above), which has an RRP of $27.99. In Canada, the discount is $160 off the $379.99 device.

In Europe and the UK, you can get 50% off the Tado Smart Thermostat X Starter Kit. This offers Google Home support, but still seems a strange choice. After all, Tado is a direct competitor in the smart home thermostat space… which is probably why no new smart thermostats from Google are being released in those territories. The Nest Learning Thermostat (3rd gen, 2015) and Nest Thermostat E (2018) models will be sold only while current stocks last, and Google will be providing security updates.

Yet more Google creations heading for the graveyard is not a good look. It does nothing for the reputation of the smart home, either, which most people are wary of beyond remote controlled lights. But there might be a good ending to this.

The Matter dimension

This has been described as a “difficult decision” but I think this is a good step for Google. As it aligns its smart home offerings ever closer to the Matter standard, some older hardware is going to lose out.

“As we look at what it takes to support your energy needs going forward, it has become increasingly challenging to continue to update these products given the early hardware.”

If old devices cannot scale up to support Matter, then retirement is inevitable. Matter is supposed to reduce waste, but it can only be backward compatible so far.

What is most curious about this is not the retirement, but the withdrawal. Google ceding territory to Tado suggests it isn’t geared up to produce smart heating solutions with multiple protocols (the UK and Europe use OpenTherm). Until now, only Tado X and Google Nest thermostats supported Matter.

Google’s retreat is a big win for the German smart home company.