August’s Smart Lock Pro is one of the more highly praised smart locks. In a moment of doubt, users can double check that they’ve secured their doors via an app, rather than returning home. Plus, it’s easier to unlock the door remotely than it is to share keys with friends, dog walkers and the like.
But while the Smart Lock Pro does arguably look sleeker than its competitors, it is pretty bulky. The company’s latest iteration, the August WiFi Smart Lock, has a more compact design — it’s 45 percent smaller in volume and 20 percent slimmer than the Smart Lock Pro. The new lock also uses textured ridges to make it easier to turn manually, and it has an indicator to show whether or not the door is locked.
August has also redesigned the inner workings of its smart lock. The Smart Lock Pro wasn’t equipped with WiFi — it needed a separate Bluetooth bridge that plugged into a wall outlet in order to work. The WiFi Smart Lock, though, doesn’t need to be paired with anything other than its accompanying app.
Smart locks might not be a necessity, but they can make life easier for families, pet owners and Airbnb renters. As something users interact with multiple times a day, a sleeker, more intuitive device would certainly be a welcome improvement.
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Author: Marc DeAngelis
Source: Engadget
