In 2010, a pair of former Apple engineers started Nest Labs. The company’s debut product, the Nest Learning Thermostat, was an instant hit. Just under four years after its founding, in January 2014, Google swooped in and bought Nest Labs for $3.2 billion in cash. Google wanted to get into the smart home game, and buying Nest was the easiest way to push its foot in the door.
When Google announced the deal, it made a bunch of promises. It promised to keep privacy paramount, not change existing warranties, and continue supporting current products. Unfortunately, the company never promised to make the transition smooth, and it certainly hasn’t been.