Smart home accessory maker Ecobee has today announced its new SmartThermostat with voice control, the successor to the popular ecobee4. The new model packs a sleek new design, HomeKit control, and more. To go along with the new thermostat, Ecobee has also announced a new SmartSensor as well.

The new Ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control has been “redesigned and reengineered,” the company touts. While it retains the general design of its predecessor, there are a few notable improvements worth noting. First and foremost, as earlier rumors suggested, the SmartThermostat with voice control features a new glass finish over its LCD display. This gives it a far higher-end look and feel compared to the plastic design of the ecobee4.

Building on ecobee’s iconic squircle shape and clean sculptural design, the fifth-generation ecobee SmartThermostat marries unprecedented processing capabilities with the infallible ease of use users have come to expect from the brand. A crisp glass finish and LCD screen offers a vivid color display and enhanced touchscreen sensitivity for intuitive control.

Ecobee also touts improved performance with the SmartThermostat, claiming it is three times faster and improved reliability with 2.4GHz and 5GHz support for dual-band WiFi.

Much like its predecessor, the SmartThermostat with voice control fits the smart home trifecta, integrating Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit. This allows you to control the thermostat via all three voice assistants and their respective applications on iOS.

It also features a powerful new speaker, which Ecobee says can be used to stream music from Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, TuneIn, and Spotify. Unfortunately, there’s no support for Apple Music yet – or AirPlay 2. The SmartThermostat does feature Bluetooth, so you can stream from it to a separate speaker.

Ecobee has also unveiled a new SmartSensor to accompany the SmartThermostat. The sensor features a new magnetic base that replaces the old basic snap connector. The sensor is rated for 5 years of battery life and features a longer pairing range of 60 feet. It also ditches the awkward cutout of its predecessor.

The Ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control is available today for $249 from Amazon and other retailers. It includes one SmartSensor in the box, but you can buy additional sensors in packs of two for $79. Read the full press release below and stay tuned for a full review from 9to5Mac.

Pioneered to Perfection: Introducing The New ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control Category creator unveils next generation thermostat packed with the power you would expect from a smartphone TORONTO – June 3, 2019 – Redesigned and reengineered, ecobee today introduced a new smart thermostat for the digital age. The new ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control will help people reduce their energy consumption, save money and stay in control while home or away – all while enhancing the way they experience comfort and convenience. ecobee’s flagship thermostat combines hardware and software enhancements to deliver home automation that is easy to enjoy. By infusing more power, improved communications capabilities, and a more robust set of features and functions, ecobee’s most powerful smart thermostat yet signals a new era for the company and sets a new precedent for category excellence. “We see the smart home emerging as an oasis where great technology can fade into the background and free you from the chaos of everyday life.” said ecobee President and CEO, Stuart Lombard. “We’ve designed the new ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control to be the foundation of that vision. It’s packed with more power than ever before to deliver a best-in-class user experience and effortlessly connect you to the solutions and services you love, but also work quietly in the background so you can focus on the things – and people – that matter most.“ Redesigned and Reengineered Building on ecobee’s iconic squircle shape and clean sculptural design, the fifth-generation ecobee SmartThermostat marries unprecedented processing capabilities with the infallible ease of use users have come to expect from the brand. A crisp glass finish and LCD screen offers a vivid color display and enhanced touchscreen sensitivity for intuitive control. Supercharged with a powerful quad-core processor, the new ecobee SmartThermostat enables advanced machine learning and AI for improved natural language processing and speech detection. The device also boasts three times the speed and rock-solid reliability, with 2.4 GHz and 5GHz support for dual-band Wi-Fi. With this kind of power, speed and connectivity, there is no limit to what the new ecobee SmartThermostat can bring to users’ homes. Advanced Sensor Technology The new ultra-refined ecobee SmartSensor completes the experience and unlocks the potential of the ecobee SmartThermostat. Featuring a new state-of-the-art industrial design and an enhanced wide-angle detection range, SmartSensor is made for optimal motion sensing and temperature detection. Plus with an extended five-year battery life and new pairing range of up to 60 feet, SmartSensor offers improved reliability, connectivity and distance detection. Bigger, Better Sound The ecobee SmartThermostat features a powerful new speaker with twice the intensity of its predecessor offering richer sound and a wider dynamic range, delivering an audio experience that users would never expect from a smart thermostat. Users can listen to podcasts, playlists or news directly from their SmartThermostat or they can stream to a high quality speaker thanks to new Bluetooth support. ecobee SmartThermostat is compatible with Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Pandora, TuneIn and for the first time – Spotify. Intuitive Control Amplify the power of voice with built-in Amazon Alexa and added support for Alexa Calling, Messaging and Drop-in. Use voice to control the temperature, make a call, send a message, or connect through other Alexa-enabled devices. ecobee has moved audio processing from analog to digital microphones, meaning improved wake word detection, echo-spatial participation, signal to noise ratio and echo cancellation. All this combined delivers a communication experience one would never expect from a smart thermostat. Plus control the ecobee SmartThermostat from anywhere with the ecobee mobile app available on iOS or Android devices including Apple Watch. Engineered for Energy Savings ecobee remains committed to its founding principle of planet positive innovation and continues to prioritize solutions that offer families easy ways to help fight climate change at home. Consistent with all ecobee smart thermostats, this next generation product is Energy Star certified and can help customers save up to 23%* annually on their heating or cooling costs. The new ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control is one small change that can make a big impact. *Compared to a hold of 72°F/22°C Pricing, Availability and Compatibility Beginning June 3, 2019 the new ecobee SmartThermostat with voice control ($249 USD) will be available to purchase on ecobee.com, through select retail partners including Amazon, Lowes, HomeDepot and Best Buy, or an ecobee certified installer. The device comes with one SmartSensor in the box with additional sensors available for purchase in packs of two for $79. Additional in-home compatibility information is available at ecobee.com/compatibility. ecobee is dedicated to maintaining an open ecosystem, and like all ecobee products, the new SmartThermostat with voice control integrates with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, SmartThings and IFTTT. About ecobee empowers people to transform their lives, homes, communities and planet through innovative technologies that are accessible and affordable. The company introduced the world’s first smart Wi-Fi thermostat in 2007 to help millions of people save energy and money without compromising on comfort. ecobee has since continued to expand its suite of technologies and services to deliver a state-of-the-art connected home experience to customers across North America. ecobee products combine the company’s pioneering sensor technology with the power of voice, machine learning and artificial intelligence to help customers control their home’s comfort and energy consumption while effortlessly connecting them to the online streaming and service platforms they love. For more information, visit www.ecobee.com.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: