With the large amounts of money that people spend on home services – and the large payouts that insurance providers face for things like smoke, fire and water damage – it makes sense for smart-home tech companies to team up with outside partners, Gillett said. The Doorbell Cam also has a motion sensing system that detects if there’s somebody at the door, even if they don’t press the doorbell; this is a great way of detecting suspicious activity. That’s because two smart lock makers – August and Kevo – have announced new devices, with the August Smart Lock standing out for its Apple HomeKit support.
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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. Working with Apple’s smart home platform also means Smart Lock can be a part of commands like “Goodnight” that turn off connected lights, lock the front door, and lower the temperature.
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. 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. All three products can be self-installed, but August has partnered with a number of professional installers for consumers who don’t feel up to the task, including Sears, Postmates, Pro.com, Handy, Fetch, Shyp, BloomNation, Envoy, Rinse, HelloAlfred, Wag!, Pillow, and Doorman.
Updated to take advantage of Apple’s proprietary HomeKit framework for communicating with and controlling connected accessories in a user’s home, August’s combined software and hardware allow iPhone users to simply bring out their phone, fire up Siri, and simply tell her to lock or unlock their door.
As for August Access, it’s the company’s attempt to do for home entry management what Hue did for smart lighting, or Nest has done for smart thermostats.
Finally, the $199 Doorbell Cam lets you see and speak with visitors at the door from anywhere. It has a one-way 140 degree HD video camera and two-way audio.
Like SkyBell, August’s Doorbell Cam has to be hardwired, but its square design probably won’t fit on a lot of doorframes, where many existing wiring setups are located. The company also says that select products will also be available from Apple.
Effectively, it’s integration between delivery services from third-party providers and the August entry system.
First off there’s a HomeKit upgrade for the August Smart Lock, along with a few aesthetic and usability tweaks.
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Another accessory for the lock is August’s new Bluetooth keypad.
