Smart locks: market overview in 2019

Technology for enhancing comfort is now called smart. They touched almost all spheres of life. In stores you can find smart kettles, crock-pots, light bulbs and even door locks. They will be discussed in the article. Special attention is paid to this topic, because the safety of your property, and possibly personal safety, depends on the quality and reliability of the castle. Locks come in various designs, both as a standalone device and as a superstructure over a conventional mechanical lock.

Smart Lock Overview

Castle Z-wave Dana Lock Suitable for most doors. Works in conjunction with a controller Z-wave or Z-wave gateway, except for them compatible with controllers Fibaro Home Center 2 and Home Center lite.

It is installed instead of the core of the old castle, the mechanism remains the same.

There is a video on the network about the installation process of this system.

In addition to the lock, a number of products are included in the Z-wave smart home system, for example, the general Fibaro Home Center controller interacts with all connected consumer electronics and sensors. It can be controlled both remotely via the Internet and from a smartphone. It, in fact, is a computer that is built on an Intel Atom processor.

The cost of this castle at the time of writing is in the range of 200-250 dollars.

Kewo kwikset - A smart lock that unlocks the door when you approach it with a smartphone or a keychain in your pocket. Its price for Amazon is $ 200; in the domestic market, official dealers could not be found. An application must be installed on the smartphone (running in the background) and the application must be allowed access, for this an unlimited electronic key is assigned.

The lock is connected to the smartphone via Bleutooth. Branded keychains for opening are sold for a "modest" amount of $ 25 each, the kit includes one. Electronic keys (ekey) cost $ 2 each, the key can be reassigned to another person. There is an option to buy Kewo plus for $ 99 and get an unlimited number of electronic keys. It should be noted that the smartphone must support the application, it is compatible with Apple technology and smartphones based on Android 5.0+.

It is worth mentioning that Kewo has been dealing with security issues for more than 60 years. This lock is good in that it is possible to use ordinary real "mechanical" keys, and it works on 4 AA AA batteries. The keychain also works on battery power, but of frame size CR2025. The manufacturer’s website also presents a version of the castle with rounded inner and outer parts, as well as square ones.

The system can work in conjunction with the Nest Thermostat smart thermal system.

August smart lock - A smart castle that complements your old castle. What is the advantage of this approach? The fact that you can use it in temporary housing and in rented areas, while you do not need to call specialists, it is installed instead of the inside of the lock with a Philips screwdriver in just a couple of minutes. Its price is 200 dollars.

The smart lock works with 4 AA finger batteries and communicates with the smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0 protocols. There is an interesting feature - the lock will notify you with a message on the smartphone that the batteries will soon run out. The fact that the lock continues to work, as before, and it can be opened with an ordinary key, is an unconditional advantage of this model.

The manufacturer offers a number of additions to the smart lock:

• August Doorbell cam - literally translated as “doorbell-cam”. This is a videophone, and its cost is also $ 200.

• August Smart Keypad - a keyboard that can be used to open a lock. It costs 79 dollars.

• August Smart Connect - needed to access the smart lock via the Internet. This is a Wi-fi bridge. It costs 79 dollars.

Goji smart lock - A smart replacement for the old castle. Its estimated cost is 300-350 dollars, so far only available for pre-order on the INDIEGOGO website. The device runs on 4 AA batteries.The manufacturer claims that they are enough for 1 year. Communicates with a smartphone via Bluetooth LE or Wi-fi.

The castle consists of two parts. The outer part is round, resembles a washer. On the front side there is a display and indication. On it, the lock appeals to the user, for example, "Welcome, John." This block closes a regular keyhole. He leans back so you can access her. In addition, a camera is located in this unit, and you can receive photos of those who tried to open the door to their smartphone.

The inside of a smart device is more like a classic lock - rectangular with rounded corners. Doors open from a smartphone or a special Bluetooth remote control. The keys can be sent to guests on their smartphones, they have a limited validity period and you can cancel or change the access settings whenever you want.

Okidokeys - A smart lock that uses 256-bit AES encryption. It is produced by the OpenWays Group.

The system works on Android and iOS, via Bluetooth 4.0. Its cost, depending on the model and configuration is in the range of 180-350 dollars.

In addition to controlling from a smartphone, a smart lock “understands” and RFID tags. You can set an access schedule for each guest or tags to exclude their unauthorized arrival at the wrong time. Tags can be applied on a keychain, plastic card or bracelet.

Lockitron bolt - A smart lock, its cost, depending on the configuration, lies in the range of 99-179 dollars. A complete set with a wi-fi bridge is available to access the castle via the Internet from anywhere in the world. As well as a version with a keyboard for installation on the outside of the door. This allows access after typing the code.

It is worth saying that this smart lock was originally called Lockitron, but now it is called Bolt. If you do not have a bridge (Lockitron Bridge), communication with the smart lock takes place via Bluetooth LE.

Shclage Sense Smart Deadbolt - A smart lock that is compatible with Apple's HomeKit technology, and supports Siri control on apple technology. Also compatible with Samsung SmartThings. Its cost is about 200 dollars. On the outside is a touchscreen with backlight and a numeric keypad.

When you connect the Schlage Sense Wi-Fi Adapter, you can control the device from a smartphone running iOS or Android. And open doors from anywhere in the world via the Internet. By the way, a notification about low battery will come to you. As in previous devices, the application allows you to assign virtual keys for guests, and if they do not have smartphones with this application, they can enter by access code by entering from the keyboard.

Yale assure - the doors open if you bring the smartphone and make a turn of your hand, as if you are opening the lock with the usual key. Communication with the device is via Bluetooth.

The cost of this lock is 200-250 dollars, depending on the model and configuration. In addition to this method, the doors can be opened after entering the code through the touch panel with a keyboard. It is located on the outside of the castle. It can cooperate with intelligent Z-wave systems and others through Zigbee protocols, there is compatibility with the Apple Homekit module.

Samsung SHS-H705 Biometric Lock, cost about 300 dollars. Powered by 8 finger batteries. It differs from previous models in that it has both a keyboard and a fingerprint scanner for access to the room. Up to 100 prints can be stored in memory. After 5 unsuccessful attempts to open, both the touch panel and fingerprint sensor turn off for 3 minutes. In the photo below you see its configuration.

Provided that the doors are opened 10 times a day, the batteries will last for 10 months of operation. In case of battery discharge, emergency power is provided from a 9V “Krona” type battery.See more on this topic:Device and types of biometric locks

Conclusion

Smart locks as a form of consumer electronics are very entertaining. However, individually smart devices look only like interesting toys. At the same time, the smart home system as a whole causes admiration and genuine delight. Back to smart locks. To whom and how can they be useful?

If you rent an apartment, it will be convenient to receive payment by bank transfer and let customers in without a personal meeting with them.You do not need to meet to transfer keys, and the video intercom allows you to “remember” faces in case of trouble.

With the help of their offices and enterprises, it is possible to organize the simplest system for monitoring and controlling access to individual rooms (the so-called ACS). Well, in everyday life for ordinary users, such a castle will simply add comfort to life.