Honeywell Home has announced its latest smart thermostat, the X2S, which promises to bring simplicity and significant energy savings to the masses at an unbeatable price of $79.99. This entry-level smart thermostat may not win any design awards, but its focus on functionality and affordability makes it an attractive option for those looking to upgrade from traditional thermostats.

The X2S boasts a large, bright screen and large, spongy push buttons for easy temperature control. Moreover, it's compatible with existing Honeywell Home thermostat wiring plates, making installation a breeze. According to Resideo, the company behind Honeywell Home, the X2S can save users an average of 22% on heating and 17% on cooling if they follow the app's recommended set points.

The X2S is the first Honeywell Home thermostat to support Matter, a standardized protocol that enables seamless integration with various smart home ecosystems, including Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings. This means users can control their thermostat and mode from any compatible ecosystem, further enhancing the smart home experience.

In addition to its Matter compatibility, the X2S works with Resideo's First Alert app, which offers advanced features like scheduling and automatic away mode using geofencing. The thermostat also monitors humidity and provides air filter replacement reminders. However, it's worth noting that it won't work with Honeywell Home's room sensors.

The Energy Star-rated thermostat requires a C wire and is compatible with up to two heating and cooling stages on conventional systems or up to two heating and one cooling stage on heat pump systems. With its affordable price point and feature set, the X2S is poised to be a game-changer in the smart home industry, particularly for the estimated 80% of homes that still rely on non-connected thermostats.

"The Honeywell Home X2S's price point and feature set make it the ideal upgrade from a non-connected to a connected thermostat, and Matter compatibility helps unlock other smart home benefits across other ecosystems," said David Kaufman, director of strategic initiatives at Resideo.

In terms of competition, the X2S faces stiff competition from Google's non-learning Nest Thermostat, which supports Matter but comes with a higher price tag of $129.99. Meross has also announced a Matter thermostat for $99, which boasts a more stylish design and touch-sensitive interface. Amazon's Smart Thermostat, priced similarly to the X2S, only supports Alexa.

Despite the competition, Honeywell Home's X2S Smart Thermostat is well-positioned to make a significant impact in the smart home market. Its unique blend of affordability, simplicity, and Matter compatibility could be the catalyst needed to drive broader adoption of smart home technology.