Gorgeous Cortana-powered GLAS thermostat goes up for preorder in March
Months after it was first teased, Johnson Controls' Cortana-powered thermostat is nearly ready to hit the market.

Last July, Microsoft revealed that it was working with Johnson Controls on a Cortana-powered thermostat, dubbed GLAS. But aside from an initial reveal video, both companies remained mum on when GLAS may hit the market. Now, that's all about to change: Johnson Controls has announced that GLAS will be available for preorder starting in March for $319.
The most striking aspect of GLAS is its screen, which is a translucent OLED touchscreen display. Powering the device is Windows 10 IoT Core, along with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410E embedded platform. In terms of smart features, GLAS can leverage Cortana for voice control, as well to audibly information like the current weather forecast, increases or decreases in temperature, traffic, and more.
GLAS also packs in other smart thermostat features you might expect, like adapting to your schedule to maintain a comfortable temperature when you're home while saving energy. GLAS will also be able to track air quality and report on information such as humidity, carbon dioxide levels, and volatile organic compounds.
The GLAS thermostat is expected to go up for sale sometime in March for $319. You can find more information about the preorder at Johnson Controls, along with a detailed spec sheet.
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Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl.
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I am not getting this, good luck with your target market
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The microsoft stock collapsed on learning this!! lol.. please buy stuff from people who are mining your data.. google and amazon.. very trustworthy companies.. sure!!
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Microsoft also data mines you. Nearly every software company, including Mozilla, is getting data from you.
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But which companies have it as their primary business case? Google, Amazon? Does Microsoft?
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Very interested in this. I'm curious can you link a second thermostat that is not wired. We have a two story house and would like to add a second thermostat upstairs.
As I'm writing this, it occurred to me that if it's linked with Cortona I don't need another thermostat for control just the sensor.
The invoke should be able to control this as well I hope. -
"should" but..
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The Invoke also "should" be able to control light groups & scenes in Wink, but...
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Something handy I found with my Invoke is that it handles devices with a wild card '*' mentality. I had two devices with the word fan in the name on my SmartThings hub. If I say turn on fan, Cortana turns on both. So I've been grouping items by a name hierarchy like "outside front-yard spot light". So I can turn on all "outside" lights or just the "front yard" lights or just all "spot" lights, by leaving out the unwanted bits.
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Good to know. Have you figured out a way to run Routines?
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I think this is overpriced, you can buy a top of the line Nest that works with Alexa and Google for $250....Just Saying....
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Too late for me and my family. We all settled in on Alexa powered Ecobee thermostats after waiting years for Cortana powered smart home devices. We wanted Cortana powered everything, especially when we all had Windows phones. Sadly, Microsoft changed it's mind and we we're pushed to other platforms and services when we could have kept using Microsoft made products and services. Oh well, someone will buy GLAS and will enjoy it for what it does. I'll be buying 2 more Ecobee with Alexa thermostats for two other locations soon.
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Same here, done with MS consumer devices and services except Windows itself. Burned on phone, band, now Kinect which mine it broken and was going to get another until they announced the adapter is no more. Best of luck to those who get them!!!
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I even tried the stuff ms stores sold like, insteon, and found out they wouldnt update features for the windows app sites but owuld for all other apps, I also found they wouldnt update their camera to require https I had to actually turn off all security checks just to use much less record with the cameras. They may not have built it but they pushed it as a product that "works" on windows phones.
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I got the insteon stuff because it was sold in the Microsoft Store. They had it on display for about a week and then it wasn't even on the shelves anymore. It has a horrible user interface. And I thought it was supposed to work on x10 devices too, but it doesn't. Big disappointment especially since the hardware seems very well made.
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I already had a watered down Alexa/Wink enabled WiFi thermostat, but I aslo just upgrated both of these to Ecobee 3 Lites over the holidays...2 of these cost me less than one GLAS thermostat. And here's the thing, I can still control the thermostat through Cortana via Wink.
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I see myself moving away from Microsoft services as wel, just because of quiting Windows Phone. I loved Cortana but cannot use it anymore. My Windows 10 PC is restructed by domain settings and my Iphone doesn't work very well with Cortana. Now I'm using Siri and why should I buy a Cortana based thermostat now? I wonder how MS will get tracktion on Cortana based devices. They're probably too late again. I've seen announcements for Cortana in BMW and Volvo but didn;t see anything on the market yet.
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BMW has announced they are adding Alexa to 2018 models.
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What happened to the Nissan partnership?
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Normally I let crap like this go, but this is pure BS dude...
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I want one!! It is expensive though!
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Unfortunately MS has lost me as a devout and loyal customer... Good luck to whoever purchases this and I hope it stays supported by MS.
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Yep, me too. Why get this when the chances of them abandoning it after the first year is high? MS is committed to three things: Windows, office, and Azure. Everything else is an experiment.
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Looks good. I'm not crazy about my Nest.
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Care to share why? Nest is now compatible with my Vivint system, and I've been considering installing one.
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The AI is poor. I'm always undoing the adjustments it makes to the temperature schedule I've programmed.
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I figured that would be an issue with it and heard someone say that as well. Decided on the ecobee instead to avoid that
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I've had my Nest for years at it works absolutely fine. All the suggestions it does are correct. It's also supported by many third parties. The Nest app is great (eg uses your locaiton to know if you're home), and integration with Amazon Alexa is very good.
I do recommend getting a Nest, it's the easiest way to get the most out of a thermostat. -
Just got the invoke....really want this but now I'd have to worry about them both answering me. I'd actually want 2....one for each floor. Was looking at ecobee3, but that doesn't do the air quality monitoring like this one does.
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And THAT is exactly what I've been telling Microsoft about every chance I get. Cortana is NOT integrated with itself. When I walk in our living room I can say "Hey, Cortana" and I'll get a response from the Xbox, the Lumia 1020 and my Surface Pro. And they aren't even capable of fulfilling my request the same way (if at all). If Microsoft could fix that issue (and I've made suggestions on how that might work), they may have a chance. Otherwise, they may as well give it up to Alexa now.
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Alexa has the same issue. Echo and ecobee4 would both respond in the same vicinity as well. Phone isn't voice activated yet, have to hit the button to get her to listen. Surface....I guess that is a problem if it's on and in same room.
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Yeah, i think i may just turn it off on my phone, the Xbox is far enough away it's not a problem but I've got two invokes within earshot of each other just cause of the way the house is. It would be nice to know a list of issues they are working to address. Probably would make users feel more comfortable
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It looks really nice, but with M$ killing off Cortana functionality left right and centre will it work properly over time?
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What an ignorant statement... Where is microsoft killing off Cortana Functionality? Other than the ID'ing music, which goes along with killing Groove, they are only adding to Cortana functionality.
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May be adding tonite, but it's still clunky as hell. And NOTHING should be removed from it. Every other voice offering detects songs. So why would I deal with anymore of Nutella's messes?
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I only purchase devices that interface with my Vivint system. Plus, I'm not confident Cortana is going to exist in a year or two.
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Looks amazing, but no way I'm buying it - not if its Cortana only.
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It won't be Cortana only device.
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Sad, because I'm a Windows fan, and I have doubts about this....
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The two thermostats I bought in 2011 have lasted till now, and they could last ten more years. A Thermostat is a long term appliance that people rely on, and this isn't for play.. Sure, if the Cortana integration were to go away these things would still function as a conventional thermostat, but that "if" is what's bad.
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I can't feel bad for MS because they are the ones who do it to themselves. They will not put 100% behind EVERY product they offer. -
I could not possibly agree more. When they first announced this I was REALLY excited. I'd been waiting for it, just like I'd been waiting for Microsoft to do SOMETHING with WP, but now I don't see the point. I could wait to see if this "foldable mobile device that makes calls but isn't a phone" ever comes to fruition but I'm tired of waiting for Microsoft to actually do something with their products. I waited for years for Windows Phone; I guess I just don't trust them anymore.
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I commented on Satya Nadella's post about this product the exact same thing. I'm a lifelong fan and user of Windows, as I'm sure many people here are. We really want to love Microsoft. We really want to love the company's products. But after being repeatedly burned by its anti-consumer, pro-business stance, why should we start trusting them now?
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MS is like that Chinese instructor... They will teach you patience. Wow, just think of how much money us MS fans have saved over the years. We never have any products to buy.
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I would only get this if there is some sort of trade-in program. I got the Wiser Air because it was on the Microsoft Store and had a first-party app. The company has halted new feature developments and cannot be controlled through Cortana so we just switched to the Eccobee4 and put their sensors throughout the house. No way I can convince the wife to change yet again even though she likes the Invokes. Too slow to market but I hope they advertise the hell out of it and it gets traction, not just in the enterprise where Johnson is more of a threat.
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I would get one if it wasnt so expensive. It would be nice to be able to ask Cortana on my phone what the temperature or humidity is in the house without having to physically check. While a MS fan, like others, I'm also a bit relecutant to continue investing in the MS ecosystem if they keep disabling the littele that is already there. I'm also curious about some of the things the GLAS says it can do. Are all these capabilities baked into the device already or will you need add-n sensors for things like CO2 and such?
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I think a lot of people are assuming Cortana has no smart home integration. You can connect to some of the note popular solutions now and i can ask the temp of my house in my ecobee via my hub
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The selling point of this device is the form factor. I don't think the built-in Cortana is that big of a deal. Other non-voice controlled smart thermostats can easily be complemented with voice control using $30 devices like Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini.
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Seeing as the Invoke speaker isn't available in the UK and I doubt this will be either I now have a Google Home Mini and I'm looking at getting a Nest Thermostat to go with it. It's not that I don't want GLAS or the Invoke but rather that they aren't and probably won't be available in the UK.
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Too expensive, too late.
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I can't and won't support Microsoft devices besides Surface, until they support the consumer by not killing their hardware a year or 3 after release. Sorry but not sorry. I recommended Windows Phone to my family, friends etc, that blew up in my face.. The Microsoft band... Blew up in my face... See a trend here?
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Yeah, but this is NOT a Microsoft device. It's a Johnson Controls device. Because of that, I'm more confident that it won't be pulled from the market after a year or two.
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It won't. The worse would be unsupported Cortana commands. The phone app would still function. The firmware and app update should come from JC.
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Do you remember the hype behind Microsoft and Insteon? Microsoft and HP mobile? There is a trend unfortunately.
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Will it still work when Cortana gets shut down or will you be unable to control the temperature in your house and have a $319 OLED clock on the wall?
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It should work normally without Cortana or wifi.
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Then you would have spent $600 on two really pretty thermostats. 🙄🙄🙄
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This T-stat appears to have built-in temp sensor, humidity sensor, VOC sensor, CO2 sensor and occupancy sensor. Wish it also had Radon sensor as well as four events (wake, leave, return and sleep). The price would eventually come down to 250 to 275 bucks which then it will be worth buying. But, I only buy this device if I can sell my existing Wi-Fi T-stat (Honeywell), or there is a trade off. I don't care much about Cortana interface.
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Are you saying you can't program GLAS to lower the temp at night when sleeping? That the only control is if someone is in the house? Also, my thermostat is in a room with minimum traffic. Will it never detect us roaming around and will we freeze to death?
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No, I am not saying that...You can set your overnight temp setting. Just that GLAS combined the Wake and Return events and called it Home. The other two events are Away and Sleep...Programming would be easier if there were four events...
Your T-stat location is very important. It should be mounted on an interior wall in the largest room with high traffic and highest air flow, and as close as possible to your furnace/blower air intake vent location. It also should not be in the throwing range of any supply air vents and it should be away from areas with direct sun light... -
Wonder if you can add a custom event like on some other devices?
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This looks wonderful, so project to be abandoned by MS in 3..2..1...
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I use my Invoke with a Wink 2 Hub and Z-Wave switches to automate my lights, love it. What I see missing here is Z-Wave compatibility, but if I can control it from another remote device or directly from Cortana on my PC and Invoke I might consider it. A bit pricey so that will kill it for the average consumer. If it doesn't integrate with other home automation systems that will completely kill it altogether.
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Honeywell Lyric Round. Great thermostat for the price. Love mine. Works with Google Home and Samsung SmartThings. I'm happy. Killing the phones killed the ecosystem they need. That thermostat looks pretty sweet though. How often do you need to upgrade a thermostat???
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I love Microsoft. But I can not purchase anything else made by them. Although this is not made by them...until they start paying attention to consumers...if ever...i will stick to Windows 10 Software and apps ..but no more hardware right now ....it feels like a lot of people have given up on hardware products by ms...after they killed Windows Phone... Windows central even feels like a ghost town......well good luck on this ..hope it is successful!!
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The product is marketed by Johnson Controls, not shure why everyone is whining about Microsoft. Software can change at all time as it is supported by the manufacturer. This is IMO a high tech design item with a translucent OLED touchscreen display well worth 319$. If Johnson also integrate with Cortana just means they have faith in its ability to sell there product with that feature. Even when running IoT version of W10 you can have several AI in the product. Some clever guy's will even interface this with legacy domotics in time if they need it
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Microsoft is late again. But I like this device.
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Late...? Please stop.
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Yeah, wayyyy late. Nest and to a much lesser extent, Ecobee, have ruled the market for years. Good luck now MS...
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Id love to get the whole MS ecosystem, BUT...you know whats coming...They have destroyed the one main thing Cortana needs to be on...MOBILE!!! On Android its utterly useless if you have a headset, just won't work. They need their own device, another BUT...they have got to demonstrate absolute 100% commitment to the device/s - All we see time and time again is 'retrenchment' sloppy short-term decisions. The Management at the top has got to step aside, need fresh thinking. Heres an idea - Have a mobile screen type device that can plug into the top of any surface device thereby giving a small extra screen you can use, also able to plug into XBOX controller to give extra info, also attachable to a mobile device to double the screen real estate, attach it at home and it becomes a control centre for the home, maybe attach it to a car dashboard for an extra screen, Or to Satya Nadella's glasses so he can see better.
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Preorder for March and Microsoft will discontinue this by April.
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I've been bit a few times in the ass by Microsoft. I buy subscriptions to services or software, only for them to discontinue the thing.
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Another DOA consumer product offered with the MS name tied to it. Sorry to Johnson Controls and Harmon Kardon (Invoke) for falling into the same pit that I did..
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I am going to pre-order one as I am a hard core MS fan and I like the design of this device. This is defnitely one of the most beautiful Thermostats out there and has other USPs like Air Quality monitoring, occupancy detection ...etc. which is great. I hated Satya for his lack of focus on the consumer space but I love him for making MSFT stock a wall street favorite. I hope his idea is to focus on the software and services and work with the partners to develop the consumer products. If that is his idea, then I don't think there is anything wrong with that. The strategy for Glas is similar to the Invoke in my opinion. I love my Invoke just for the hk speaker itself and if there is anything to be improved on that device, it is Cortana. Cortana is the real bottleneck there as I can access music only from Tune In, iHeart Radio and Spotify. If the proposed Cortana - Alexa friendship is going to happen then I will be a happy customer as I will be able to open Alexa to play the music from my Amazon Prime Music. So friends, let's be optimistic like Jason Ward ... I think Satya is following the foot steps of Bill Gates ... Leave the hardware business to the hw experts and provide them the support they need from a Software Service stand point. They are continuing Surface just because the PC hardware partners became lazy and Google also started making contracts with the same HW partners with Android and Chrome book. They might continue Surface just to make their partners innovative... They may continue with XBOX till other HW partners agree to make game consoles. I think MS will stop XBOX at some point of time as most of the games are now compatible with Windows 10 as well and Mixed Reality is not supported yet in XBOX. Now I hope some companywill start making the Band with Windows IoT core and more PC manufactures will make the ultra mobile PCs (aka Surface Phone) and the home hub in the future. Lets be optimistic about the devices coming from the Hardware Partners !!
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I want these. I just bought two ecobee3 models (with a couple bonus sensors). Would anyone want to buy these from me when i switch to GLAS? They are in perfect shape and work great. I'm just a Microsoft eco-system guy and ecobee isn't supporting the Microsoft ecosystem like i initially expected.
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It's a very pretty, very expensive, somewhat smart thermostat. Specs boast room occupancy sensor and geofencing. But what it doesn't mention is the type of smart, learning algorythms and web integration like the Nest, for maximum energy savings. Nest has a highly developed system for it, which the other thermostats don't at this point. Things like Seasonal Savings etc. (https://nest.com/energy-partners/ ). This plus the fact the new Nest e model is almost half the cost of the GLAS. With rebates from utilities the Nest E can be had for around $30-40 net. Cortana is nice but I can use an Echo or Fire TV voice remote to control a Nest by voice if I really want. Is that worth an extra $200?