Google has launched the new Nest Thermostat for US$130, and it features an impressively sleek, attractive makeover that will make the device look less like a bump on your wall and more like an elegant ornament. It’s available in four colors — snow, sand, charcoal and fog, and looks smaller than before.

Google was able to make the thermostat so much slimmer in part because it got rid of the spinning wheel in older models and replaced it with a touch sensitive edge. Instead of rotating the frame around the device to adjust the temperature, you will tap or swipe up and down along the side to interact with it.

One of the things that stands out about the new Thermostat’s design is its mirrored display, which not only has a beautiful finish but also wakes up when you approach it to show you pertinent info like the current indoor temperature, target temperature and whether it’s in cooling or heating mode. Google uses the same Soli radar technology here that it showed off on the Pixel 4 to detect motion, and combines that data with your geo-fencing parameters to tell if you’ve left home.

When it realizes no one’s around, the new Thermostat will automatically go into Eco mode and keep your home at a temperature you specify that requires less energy. So on a cold day, your home can chill at 10 degrees Celsius if no one’s in and only start warming up after you return. Existing Nest thermostats already have this feature, but the new product is the first to use Soli detection to see if people are home.(SD-Agencies)