Jordan O'BrienThe August Smart Lock is becoming a little more versatile at CES 2017, with the company officially announcing a mortice lock compatible kit. In addition to supporting a different type of lock, August is also officially rolling out support for the Logitech Pop Home Switch.
Mortice locks are the most common type of locks available in the UK and require a key to both lock and open it. In the US they have recently become more common in commercial and upmarket residential developments, forcing August to release a new kit.
Unlike the common deadbolt lock in the United States, the mortice lock is considered more secure thanks to the locking bolt and handle being one and the same. Until now that style of lock hasn’t been compatible with the August smart lock however, meaning users either needed to replace their mortice lock with the less secure deadbolt, or do without.
At CES 2017, August says that its Smart Lock Mortice Kit will cost $100 extra on top of the existing retail price of $229. Despite the extra cost, anyone wishing to get an August smart lock should now be able to – provided they have a mortice lock from a supported manufacturer.
August says that support for mortice locks wasn’t simply done to satisfy a growing trend in the US – instead it is designed to enable the company to move into additional markets, which could include the UK. If it does launch this side of the pond, August wouldn’t be the first smart lock available in the UK – Yale already offers a HomeKit-compatible lock, although it comes at a price.
For those who couldn’t care less about mortice locks, not to worry as August has something for existing smart lock users.
August announced support for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant in July last year, but at CES 2017 the company is officially adding Logitech’s Pop to the compatibility list.
The Logitech Pop officially debuted in August 2016 as one of the most simple smart home solutions on the market. Instead of requiring users to learn a whole new system, the Logitech Pop is a single button solution for performing complicated functions. When paired with the August smart lock, users can simply press the Logitech Pop button to lock their door.