Nest Learning Thermostat reportedly taken off Apple Store shelves

The first product to come out of ex-Apple executive Tony Fadell's startup Nest, the Nest Learning Thermostat, has reportedly been quietly pulled from shelves at a number of brick-and-mortar Apple Stores for unknown reasons.

While it cannot be officially confirmed that Apple Stores have stopped selling the Nest thermostat altogether, AppleInsider contacted a random sampling of outlets and found that each had taken down its in-store display units.

Some employees, who wished to remain anonymous, said that they had been told to pull the item while others simply stated that they were out of stock. One location confirmed that the device was on site but had been locked away in a storage room for reasons unknown. The same store said it received no instructions beyond those to take the Nest off the sales floor.

At the time of this report the unit was still in stock and ready to ship on Apple's online store but curiously it was not available for in-store pickup. An Apple Store employee corroborated this information though had no further insight into the matter.

It is unclear why the thermostat was removed from the Apple Store, but a representative at a nearby location of Nest sales partner Lowe's said the big-box home improvement store received a new shipment on Thursday and plans to stock them on shelves within four to five days.

The brainchild of Tony Fadell, also known as the "grandfather of the iPod," the $250 Nest Learning Thermostat uses sensors and an on-board CPU to efficiently control temperatures according to a variety of environmental factors. Users can also control the unit with the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, all iPad models, and the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch.

The Nest is currently being sold under the "iPod accessories" category on Apple's online store and is listed as an "app-enabled accessory."