Google announces discontinuation of some Nest products and assistants with screens

After Arlo announced it was stopping support for some of its cameras, it's Google's turn to announce some bad news. The American giant has decided to discontinue certain Nest products, as well as to no longer support third-party Google Assistants equipped with screens… Nest Dropcam and Secure Products in FocusNest products had a bit of a revolution when they were first released, notably with the connected thermostat, but also various camera models. The company has since been acquired by Google. And it must be said that time is ticking: Nest's Dropcam camera was actually released ten years ago. These products have become difficult to maintain, according to Google, and the camera will no longer be supported as of April 8, 2024. The manufacturer is giving us a year to turn things around without taking us by surprise. Note that Nest Aware subscribers will receive the new Nest Cam for free in return. Others can purchase it with a 50% discount. Goodbye Dropcam…But the end of support also affects the Nest Secure system, the alarm system launched in 2017 that relied on Nest Guard, Nest Detect, and Nest Tag. It must be said that the security system wasn't a huge success, being discontinued only three years later, at the end of 2020. It continued to function, however. It too will be discontinued on April 8, 2024, and will become inaccessible in the Nest app. However, Google isn't leaving its users completely helpless: in addition to giving them a year to replace their system, Google is also offering $200 in the Google Store, which will allow security system users to upgrade their hardware at a lower cost.

Finally, it's worth noting that the “Works with Nest” service, which allowed third-party products to be connected to the Nest ecosystem and integrated into other home automation systems, for example, will also be discontinued on September 29, 2023. A script editor should, however, be made available to allow users to create automations.

Third-Party Google Assistants: Is this the end for screens?

Here, the announcement is much more discreet, coming from a simple mention of Google's Duo video service, allowing remote conversations via screens:

What's next?

Unfortunately, the current economic climate is affecting all levels of the company, and Google has already laid off 12,000 employees, including 16% of the 400 members of the Fuchsia team, the operating system that powers its voice assistants. And the vice president of engineering for the Google Assistant team, Amar Subramanya, has reportedly moved to head the Bard team, the new artificial intelligence that Google is trying to implement to counter competitors such as ChatGPT.

It's unlikely that the American giant will discontinue its assistants, as this secures its place in the connected home market, and it has invested heavily in Matter alongside its historical competitors Apple and Amazon in particular. But Google seems to be refocusing on the essentials, as evidenced by the upcoming removal of assistant games and applications next June. Google is clear that the focus will be “on delivering products that have an impact on our users.” We will undoubtedly learn more at the next Google I/O conference.