ADT’s new security system is now available, and Nest Secure hardware features are just the beginning

Ben Schoon | Jul 23 2024 - 8:10 am PT

ADT is launching a new security system, its second with with Google Nest integration, which revives a couple of Nest Secure hardware features, starts at $269, and sets the stage for some big new features to come.

Quietly launched on ADT’s website over the past few weeks and now widely available for purchase, the latest security system from the company finally delivers the updated hardware that first leaked in October.

What’s new? We’ve got some exclusive details straight from ADT.

The big change with the new system, of course, is that the entire hardware setup has been revamped inside and out.

The new base station has a rounded design with LED lights on the keypad and a ring of lights around the edge. ADT says the ring uses different colors and brightness to show the system status, much like Nest Secure did before Google killed it earlier this year. There’s an optional secondary keypad ($99, pictured at the bottom of this post) which looks similar, but is significantly smaller. The base is the “hub” for sensors, while additional keypads can be placed elsewhere in the home to add controls. ADT says the keypad and the base can detect when you walk up (within 3tf) and light up the LEDs, something Google’s Nest Secure did, but that ADT’s previous base frustratingly did not.

Inside, that new base station is packing a new collection of radios. Much of the system relies on DECT/ULE frequencies which, as ADT explained to us in a call, provides a much more stable connection that’s also less prone to interference. This not only improves the day-to-day functionality of the system, but also the installation process as well. ADT says the new hardware is working “wonderfully” so far.

The core package, which costs $269 – roughly on par with last year’s pricing – includes a basic door/window sensor. But there’s also a “Premium” sensor for double the cost ($40) which has a button that can temporarily bypass the alarm so you can open a door or window without fully disarming the entire system. That was widely regarded as one of the best features of the Nest Secure’s “Detect” sensor.

ADT explained to 9to5Google that, while it is evaluating ways to mix hardware, this new sensor, as one example, would not work with the previous base available to Self Setup customers due to using the new DECT/ULE radio which is only supported in the new base.

ADT also continues to offer its motion detector, keychain control remote, and detectors for smoke, carbon monoxide, and heat, as well as a water leak sensor. There’s also an optional siren add-on, and black covers for the sensors to help them blend in if the white design doesn’t fit.

These sensors have also been updated with DECT/ULE connections for better performance.

You can also bundle in select Google hardware such as Nest cameras, all of which are available at a discount if you spend $349 or more.

This new ADT system is available in both “Self Setup” and professional install options, the latter costing $180 (this also comes with a 36-month requirement for professional monitoring). The company’s “Secure Monitoring Plan” runs $24.99/month and it appears to at least be required for the initial purchase.

ADT confirmed to 9to5Google that, with this current pricing, the system will still work in a “self-monitoring” state without a monthly subscription after the first month of professional monitoring has passed, just like on the previous system.

But new hardware is just the beginning.

In a call with ADT’s Chief Business Officer Wayne Thorsen, we discussed the platform on which this new hardware is built. The new software platform that ADT has been building out from scratch over the past few years, Thorsen explained, will allow for better integration with smart home devices such as Google’s Nest ecosystem as well as future “unique experiences.”

The “first” of those experiences will be “Trusted Neighbor,” a new feature we first reported on back in May. ADT says this feature – which leverages Nest’s Familiar Faces amongst other data to intelligently grant access to your home – is coming to this new hardware “later this Summer.” More features will follow over time. The ADT+ app, which just got a big update last week, will also be continually updated with this new platform and the new hardware.

As a note, Google Nest integration on this new system hasn’t changed from what it is today. The ADT+ app can link up with your Nest cameras and doorbell to show live feeds in the ADT+ app and get notifications, as well as use the Nest Thermostat in automation and control it in the app. We’re hoping more will follow in time.

In our call, Thorsen compared the current state of launch for ADT’s latest hardware to a new game console, but before all the great games have been released. It’s still exciting, but the best is yet to come. ADT’s new system looks way better than what came before from the hardware alone, but it’s the software that should really make it something special.

What do you think of this new system?