What’s the difference between the current and new Nest Aware plans?

On our most recent IoT Podcast episode, we got a question from Ken about the new Nest Aware subscription plans. Google announced these updates back in October but they’re not yet available. However, they should be, in “early 2020”, and Ken is right: They’re a bit confusing if you’re a current Nest Aware owner.

The biggest difference is that Nest Aware is moving from a pay-per-device model to a whole-home subscription that covers all Nest devices for a single account. This alleviates consumers from deciding on whether to add a new Nest camera or video doorbell based on the additional per-device cost because they know their new device will be covered with no additional monthly fee.

Additionally, the new Nest Aware plans provide either 30-days of event video history for $6 per month, a 60-day event history and, with Nest Aware Plus, 10 days of 24/7 video history for $12 monthly in the US. You’ll also get sound detection for security and fire alarm purposes as well as local emergency calling with the new plan.

Here’s a breakdown of the features between the current and future plans:

Note that like the current Nest Aware offerings, you can opt for a yearly subscription to receive a discount. The basic Nest Aware plan can be had for $60 annually, while Nest Aware Plus is $120 a year; both plans essentially give you two free months of cloud services.

Once Google begins offering the new Nest Aware plans, you will have to migrate any existing Nest accounts to a Google account, something that can be a little frustrating. And if you’re a current Nest Aware subscriber, you can keep your old plan. However, you won’t be able to add any older, first-generation Nest products to that account.

To hear Ken’s question in full, as well as our discussion, tune in to the IoT Podcast below: