# Accessible Smart Thermostats The ecobee3 Lite Offers WiFi Thermostat Functionality For Only $169 By Rahul Kalvapalle | Published 2016-10-18 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessible-smart-thermostats References: [engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/17/ecobee3-lite-review/) & [ecobee](https://www.ecobee.com/ecobee3-lite/0) Canadian company ecobee is renowned for creating the first ever WiFi-equipped smart thermostat, but the company is now looking to make its high-tech product available to people with lesser budgets with the introduction of the brand new ecobee3 lite, which offers a variety of fundamental [smart thermostat features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lennox-l40-smart-thermostat) at a price of $169, around $80 less than competitors. This particular smart thermostat doesn't come with expensive bells and whistles such as humidifier compatibility and smart detection systems, but retains the most important features such as the ability to control the home environment for maximum comfort and [reduced energy usage](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ductless-heat-pump). What's more, the ecobee3 lite has a touchscreen interface and is guaranteed compatible with 95 percent of residential cooling and heating technologies in the USA and Canada. Smart thermostats haven't been around for very long, but the release of the ecobee3 lite speaks to the fact that these products are already being tweaked to suit people with [lighter budgets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/interconnected-devices). ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.0/10 - Popularity: 12% | Activity: 40% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Gadgets](https://www.trendhunter.com/gadgets) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Affordable Smart Thermostats:** The introduction of the ecobee3 lite demonstrates the trend of making smart thermostats more accessible to consumers with limited budgets. - **Streamlined Smart Thermostat Features:** The ecobee3 lite focuses on offering essential features for controlling home environments, indicating a trend towards simplifying smart thermostat designs. - **Universal Compatibility:** ecobee3 lite's guaranteed compatibility with a wide range of residential cooling and heating technologies reflects the trend of creating versatile smart thermostats. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Home Automation:** The affordable ecobee3 lite smart thermostat highlights opportunities within the home automation industry to provide cost-effective solutions for improving energy efficiency and comfort. - **Energy Management:** Streamlined smart thermostat features like those of the ecobee3 lite align with the growing demand in the energy management sector for simple yet effective solutions to optimize energy usage. - **Consumer Electronics:** The trend towards more affordable smart thermostats represents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the consumer electronics industry to cater to a wider range of customers seeking smart home technology. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Smart Home-Connected Thermostats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/th1123wf.md) - [Omni-Compatible Smart Thermostats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/meross-matter-smart-thermostat.md) - [Cubic Industrial Smart Thermostats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/netatmo-thermostat-original.md) - [AI-Powered Home Thermostats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beca-bht-18gblw.md) - [Artistic Glass-Like Thermostats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/google-nest-learning-thermostat.md) - [Proactive Smart Thermostats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/proactive-smart-thermostat.md) - [Smart Thermostat Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nest-learning-thermostat.md) - [Smart Home Thermostats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/radiator-thermostat-e1.md) - [Geo-Fencing Smart Thermostats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lennox-l40-smart-thermostat.md)