The August Smart Lock, which now features a covered with chrome piece that allows its owner to detect whether the door is locked, is installed first and can be controlled via a smart phone or August’s Smart Keypad.
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August isn’t the first brand to add a smart doorbell to its repertoire, though – we’ve reviewed a variety of options so far, including the now-defunct DoorBot, its Ring successor, SkyBell 2.0 – and have Doorbird, a more recent industry entrant, in our current review queue.
August also announced a new platform called August Connect, which will let partners Sears, Postmates, Doorman, and others work with August Smart Lock in different ways. This provides a new level of convenience as customers no longer need to be home to receive deliveries; trusted partners can securely enter the home using the August Smart Lock. It has a one-way 140 degree HD video camera and two-way audio.
The August Smart Lock can also be set to automatically unlock when you come within range as you arrive at home or to lock when you get out of range when you leave the house. The platform uses the August Smart Lock (which is HomeKit-enabled), the August Smart Keypad, and the August Doorbell Cam.
Available now in beta, the August Access platform lets you find service providers like dog walkers and home fix techs via the August app for iOS and Android, and then control and monitor the job from afar. The August Smart Keypad works alongside the August Smart Lock, allowing for entry without a smartphone. Motion detection automatically captures visitors, and August’s app can be used to livestream any activity. It can be self-installed, and replaces the existing doorbell with the same wiring.
The new August products, which also include the Smart Keypad and its Access software program, will be shipping in about six to eight weeks, but buyers can now pre-order them on the company’s website.
“Our new products, and more importantly the ecosystem with third party services we’ve created, are designed not just to provide a delightful experience but to remove the friction that now exists with home access and transform the way people interact with their homes”, said Yves Béhar, designer and co-founder of August.
Access is available for all August Smart Lock customers. Passcodes are made for either repeated use or temporary use, meaning you can give the person who cleans your house a passcode that expires after a single use, while keeping a permanent code for your family.
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The final new hardware product is August Doorbell Cam, which as the name suggests is both a doorbell and a streaming video camera. The lock itself offers a number of design improvements over its predecessor including a magnetic faceplate that won’t pop off every time you manually engage the lock as well as a stainless steel indicator on the lock sleeve.
