It’s no secret that ex-Apple designer Tony Fadell has found great success in his revolutionary Nest Thermostat design. The device has simplified the room temperature adjustment experience for thousands—and was one of the first smart home products that showed us a glimpse into the future of home living when it first came out. Riding on the heels of the Nest Thermostat’s success is Nest’s next adventure into solving another problem in the world of home devices: The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm.

‘Safety Shouldn’t Be Annoying’

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Before we go anywhere, let’s just admire that name for a second: Nest Protect. It’s just…so…perfect. In comparison, here is the name of the first smoke alarm I found upon a Google search:

“Worry-Free Kitchen 10-Year Sealed Lithium Battery Operated Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm”

If that’s our first clue as to how Nest Protect will simplify the experience of shopping for, installing, and owning a smoke alarm, then we already have a clear winner. Branding and marketing tactics aside however, the hardware design itself is worth doting on for a sec: it is still recognizable as a smoke alarm yet is drastically more considered for today’s market of smart home devices without being too ‘sci-fi’. Redesigning a user experience that people have spent their entire lives associating with a particular look and experience—especially a product that could save their life—is no easy challenge. Additionally, there is a strong argument for each feature on the device…any gimmicks or above-and-beyond features would have made it look like a toy for the rich rather than a useful universal device:

Key Features:

Can be ‘waved’ at to turn off
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Direction and type of danger alerts with real human voice
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Acts as a subtle night light in dark environment
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Battery, sensor, and location information from iOS device
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Specs:

Power: Battery or 120V Wired
Colors: Black or White
Dimensions: 5.28″ x 5.28″ x 1.63″
Weight: 12.4 or 13.1 ounces
Sensors: Photoelectric smoke,carbon monoxide, heat, motion, ambient light, and humidity
Speaker and Horn: 80dB and 85dB
Wireless: 802.11 – 2.4 GHz

After only two (solid) product designs, Nest seems to be a leader in the Smart Home movement and we’ll be looking forward to seeing what other solutions they can come up with for today’s intelligent and tech-savvy homeowners and apartment dwellers. The Nest Protect is currently available for pre-order at $129 over at Nest.

(Images via Nest)