August has introduced two newly redesigned smart locks.
Now in their third generation, the August Smart Locks have been entirely overhauled with a new elongated design, featuring a protruding thumb turn instead of the previous generation's round knob.
In addition, August has doubled the battery life and added a nifty, new feature called DoorSense, a sensor that can be installed next to the lock to detect whether the door is open or closed. If it senses that the door is closed, DoorSense notifies the user. There is also an Auto-Lock feature that leverages the power of DoorSense to lock the door.
August Smart Lock Is Now Cheaper
On top of everything, August also slashed the price of its base Smart Lock, bringing it down to $149. This means August might be positioning itself as a viable choice for smart home customers on a budget. It makes its smart locks more financially accessible for the mass market, especially those who view smart home devices as no more than niche products.
Despite the newly redesigned August Smart Lock, the signature round form factor isn't going away. The Smart Lock Pro, the more expensive of the two products, still features the original design, but with all-new internals for a quieter experience, as The Verge notes.
August Smart Lock vs. Smart Lock Pro: What's The Difference?
The Smart Lock Pro is Z-Wave Plus compatible, which lets users integrate it into alarm and home control systems. As with the standard Smart Lock, the Pro version is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant via August's Wi-Fi Bridge, which is bundled with the Smart Lock Pro for $279. Separately, it's $79.
Also, Smart Lock Pro has an exclusive feature called Active Monitoring that will alert users if a DoorSense-equipped door is left open or when a certain family member enters.
The standard August Smart Lock doesn't come bundled with the Wi-Fi Connect Bridge, so users who want to integrate it with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa will have to buy the Wi-Fi Bridge separately. It also doesn't have Z-Wave and HomeKit compatibility found in the Pro version. Still, the price cut should be more than enough to make up for the loss.
Finally, August is also unveiling a second-generation Doorbell Cam Pro that comes with a built-in flood light that is motion-sensitive, and will have better video quality over the standard version. It ships on Oct. 10 for $199.
Both the $279 Smart Lock Pro and $149 Smart Lock are available now from August's website.
