August Announces New Smart Lock With HomeKit Integration

[MacRumors]

August, the company behind the popular August Smart Lock, today announced a second-generation product that includes support for Apple's HomeKit home automation platform. The new HomeKit-enabled August Smart Lock lets customers use voice commands to lock, unlock, and check the status of their door.

The August Smart Lock can be used with other HomeKit products to create scenes that might unlock the door while also turning on the lights inside the house. August has also revamped the design of its Smart Lock, adding a new magnetic faceplate to improve the grip and rotation of the lock, and an indicator at the top so users can visually tell whether the door is locked or unlocked.

Along with the new HomeKit-enabled August Smart Lock, August is also debuting the August Smart Keypad and the August Doorbell Cam. The August Smart Keypad works alongside the August Smart Lock, allowing for entry without a smartphone. Unique one-time use access codes can be generated for friends and family.

The August Doorbell Cam also works with the August Smart Lock, letting users see and speak with visitors at their door from anywhere. It has a one-way 140 degree HD video camera and two-way audio. Motion detection capabilities capture movement even when the bell is not rung, sending a notification, and a livestream of activity can be viewed using the August app.

All three products connect to the August Access platform, which is available today in beta form. It's designed to offer secure home access to the August products for trusted partner companies like Sears, Postmates, Pro.com, Handy, Fetch, Shyp, BloomNation, Envoy, Rinse, HelloAlfred, Wag!, Pillow, and Doorman. Customers will be able to allow these trusted partners to enter their homes with the August Smart Lock, alleviating the need to be home for deliveries.

The HomeKit-enabled August Smart Lock, priced at $229, is available for pre-order from the August website. The Smart Keypad is priced at $79 and the Doorbell Cam is priced at $199.

Article Link: August Announces New Smart Lock With HomeKit Integration

 

[okboy]

It's ugly.

 

[Zorn]

Disappointing. Yet another company who promised to support HomeKit when talking about their original product, only to backtrack and require a purchase of the "next generation". At least Philips offered some type of discount trade in on their Hue hub, looks like August is giving their loyal customers who counted on getting HomeKit the middle finger.

 

[playaproved]

I hope they offer some upgrade or trade in for existing users. I really don't feel like shoving out another $200 for a smart lock I really don't need.

 

[playaproved]

Just received this tweet... The offer better be close to half off.

 

[Nalmond92]

And when my iPhone battery dies I have a physical key to let me in?

 

[ke-iron]

And when my iPhone battery dies I have a physical key to let me in?

This has nothing to do with your existing key. The smart lock bolts on to the existing lock but from on the inside of your door. The outside of your door is the same lock and key. A door lock is to halves, on on the outside and one on the inside. This replaces the one on the inside.

 

[doelcm82]

It's ugly.

It wouldn't look so bad if it were inset into the wall. These boxes look as though they are attached to the wall using double-sided tape.

 

[jmh600cbr]

freakin awesome, loving home kit these days

 

[cassiar]

Disappointing. Yet another company who promised to support HomeKit when talking about their original product, only to backtrack and require a purchase of the "next generation". At least Philips offered some type of discount trade in on their Hue hub, looks like August is giving their loyal customers who counted on getting HomeKit the middle finger.

Here Here! I too jumped onto August because of iOS compatibility and I do remember them talking about adding HomeKit in the future. Super disappointed that they didn't bake in the hardware requirement into V1.

 

[TheRealTVGuy]

Maybe these guys will be first to offer the AppleWatch solution I'm looking for. I just want to be able to go for a run with nothing but my AppleWatch, and be able to lock/unlock my front door using nothing but the watch, standalone, without being connected to my iPhone. It should be as easy as when I use ApplePay at a payment terminal on my watch, while my iPhone is someplace else.

 

[rdlink]

Here Here! I too jumped onto August because of iOS compatibility and I do remember them talking about adding HomeKit in the future. Super disappointed that they didn't bake in the hardware requirement into V1.

Same here. But beyond that the August lock has been a major disappointment to me from a functionality and reliability standpoint. I stood in front of my door for two minutes yesterday trying to get my August app to communicate with the lock that was 18 inches from it. And to this day I do not trust the Automatic Unlock feature after numerous instances of having my August randomly unlock my front door while I'm lying in bed at night. Not to mention the times it doesn't sense I'm at my front door and doesn't automatically unlock.

Sorry August. You, like Pebble had your chance with me. But you blew it. The Schlage Sense will be out on November 1, and our relationship is in its final days.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I'm only half-disappointed mainly b/c I still haven't found a use for home kit. No company, especially Apple has shown me the way.

I was an early adopter of the August. I also gave the Lockitron a try. Kevo was a no-go from the start because my house is Schlage and I'm not change every lock. Schlage's locks were a no-go because the backside looks like it belongs in a hotel.
Anyway I mostly love the August now that the early bugs are gone. As far as aesthetics, no, not perfect, but better than the other smart locks. I can't live w/o a smart lock now anymore than I could live w/o keyless entry on my car.

 

[rdlink]

I'm only half-disappointed mainly b/c I still haven't found a use for home kit. No company, especially Apple has shown me the way.

I was an early adopter of the August. I also gave the Lockitron a try. Kevo was a no-go from the start because my house is Schlage and I'm not change every lock. Schlage's locks were a no-go because the backside looks like it belongs in a hotel.
Anyway I mostly love the August now that the early bugs are gone. As far as aesthetics, no, not perfect, but better than the other smart locks. I can't live w/o a smart lock now anymore than I could live w/o keyless entry on my car.

Early bugs gone? Not hardly. After setting up my August lock to use Automatic Unlock I was lying in bed one night and thought I heard my lock automatically unlock randomly. I reached over and picked up my phone, and sure enough my front door was unlocked. After some back and forth with August, and a couple more instances of this very disturbing bug I disabled the feature. Fast forward 10 months, and I moved to a different house. Decided that they'd had enough time to fix the issue, and turned the feature back on. Lo and behold the first time I come home the automatic lock feature won't work, because the lock doesn't realize I had been gone. So I had to use the app to manually unlock it. But the feature worked fine about a half hour later, when I was sitting in bed. In fact it worked twice. No thanks. Turned it off again, never to turn it back on.

I can't get the thing to recognize I'm standing right outside my door about 70% of the time. I walk out of my door, and try to lock the door with my app before I leave to go to work. My app won't connect, and the door usually locks itself before the connection ever happens.

Their support is slow to respond.

I know that looks are subjective, and I know the Schlage is not the most beautiful thing in the world, but it sure as heck looks better than the August, IMO. Sure can't work any worse.

I agree on Kevo. I would never trust my security to a Kwikset lock.

 

[Sonmi451]

I agree with others about no HomeKit support in v1. The lock works very well. A few minor issues not unlocking automatically all the time, and sometimes hard to turn, but I've never been locked out. If v2 works any better I may upgrade anyway. I absolutely love not carrying keys around.

 

[Zorn]

Early bugs gone? Not hardly. After setting up my August lock to use Automatic Unlock I was lying in bed one night and thought I heard my lock automatically unlock randomly. I reached over and picked up my phone, and sure enough my front door was unlocked. After some back and forth with August, and a couple more instances of this very disturbing bug I disabled the feature. Fast forward 10 months, and I moved to a different house. Decided that they'd had enough time to fix the issue, and turned the feature back on. Lo and behold the first time I come home the automatic lock feature won't work, because the lock doesn't realize I had been gone. So I had to use the app to manually unlock it. But the feature worked fine about a half hour later, when I was sitting in bed. In fact it worked twice. No thanks. Turned it off again, never to turn it back on.

I can't get the thing to recognize I'm standing right outside my door about 70% of the time. I walk out of my door, and try to lock the door with my app before I leave to go to work. My app won't connect, and the door usually locks itself before the connection ever happens.

Their support is slow to respond.

I know that looks are subjective, and I know the Schlage is not the most beautiful thing in the world, but it sure as heck looks better than the August, IMO. Sure can't work any worse.

I agree on Kevo. I would never trust my security to a Kwikset lock.

This is roughly the same experience I have with August. Most times when I leave my house and go to lock it using the phone, the app or my watch just shows a grey circle and no connection to the lock.

It's hard for me to believe that a simple Bluetooth connection between 2 things is so hard to get right. Bluetooth headsets have been fairly reliable since the early 2000s.

 

[vc2020]

I'm also a current owner and also disappointed HomeKit requires an upgrade that isn't just a hub. I feel like a hub would've been fine. Specifically a wifi hub.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Early bugs gone? Not hardly....

I know that looks are subjective, and I know the Schlage is not the most beautiful thing in the world, but it sure as heck looks better than the August, IMO. Sure can't work any worse.

Sorry for your problems w/ the August. I initially had problems with the original firmware and it would only open some of the time. But the next firmware fix did the trick for me. Now it works 100% of the time. FWIW they do have a WiFi adapter now if your issue is some kind of BT interference.

The thing I don't like about the Schlage is that it takes up a good portion of the door AND it sticks out. The August just sticks out plus its one sold color that blends in with my door knobs. The Schlage is two tone that looks dreadfully commercial.

 

[theredstig]

I already called and complained. They took down my name, number and serial # and are getting back to me in a few hours. I love the lock and I'm fine paying the differance of $29.99 and turning in my old one but when they said I had to buy a completely new lock for something that was promised from the beginning, psh, yeah right. This won't be the end of it.

 

[theredstig]

This is roughly the same experience I have with August. Most times when I leave my house and go to lock it using the phone, the app or my watch just shows a grey circle and no connection to the lock.

It's hard for me to believe that a simple Bluetooth connection between 2 things is so hard to get right. Bluetooth headsets have been fairly reliable since the early 2000s.

I have the connect so I barely ever connect to it through bluetooth other than auto unlock when I get home. The connect feature is pretty sweet.

 

[rdlink]

Sorry for your problems w/ the August. I initially had problems with the original firmware and it would only open some of the time. But the next firmware fix did the trick for me. Now it works 100% of the time. FWIW they do have a WiFi adapter now if your issue is some kind of BT interference.

The thing I don't like about the Schlage is that it takes up a good portion of the door AND it sticks out. The August just sticks out plus its one sold color that blends in with my door knobs. The Schlage is two tone that looks dreadfully commercial.

I actually have the August Connect, and the last couple of days I've had to resort to it in order to unlock my door when I'm standing right outside of it.

So instead of a solid, quick BT connection I have to enable Connect, wait for my app to talk to my router, have my router talk to the Connect module, have the Connect module talk to the August via BT, have the whole communication string come back the other direction, press unlock, wait for my unlock command to go back to the lock and listen for the sound of the August unlocking. Of course, I'm already in the house by the time the app knows the door has been unlocked and registers it on the screen.

Don't get me wrong. I was glad to have the August lock last year when I received it. Its arrival was timely, as I scheduled a trip out of town last minute over Christmas, and my cat sitter was on the other side of the country, and didn't come home until the day I left. I was able to send her a virtual key, and it made everything much smoother.

But a $200 device (Plus another $50 for the Connect) that I had to wait a year plus to get after I ordered it should not be as unreliable as this one is.

The doorbell cam and the keypad both look pretty sweet, but I am not going to reward this company for A. Putting a beta product on the market and charging $200 for it, and B. Leaving first gen customers high and dry on Home Kit.

 

[unplugme71]

I don't get why nobody is blaming Apple?

The device makers were told it would work with HomeKit. Apple never mentioned it required a chip to be secure which requires a device replacement and not firmware upgrade.

I wrote Apple a nasty letter followed by additional messages on their feedback page to be more transparent

 

[casperes1996]

The future: "****! My house got hacked"

 

[Zorn]

The future: "****! My house got hacked"

So just like the last 100 years when your door gets hacked by a crowbar?

 

[macs4nw]

Keep those HomeKit-enabled products coming.....