Nest’s Hello doorbell and the Nest x Yale lock are now available for smart home types to fortify or smartify their front doors. Both devices are nothing radically new since this kind of gadgets has been around from other vendors for years. However, the Nest brand should give them a good sales kick as they are owned by Google.
The question is, are people in an increasingly paranoid society going to trust technology on their front door? Then there’s the price, at $229 for the Nest Hello video doorbell and $249 for a Nest Yale smart lock, these aren’t precisely impulse purchases.
For people already into the Nest ecosystem, the smartness-factor does sound pretty impressive, with the new devices fitting right in. You could do things such as unlocking your door with the Nest x Yale and a linked Nest Secure alarm will turn off, while your Nest Cam IQ Indoor camera can be disabled, even as the Nest Thermostat kicks up the heating.
For a smarter nest
The doorbell will alert you when anyone is outside your home using the camera to show who’s about. And if they press the buzzer, you can talk to them to sort out deliveries. It will even let you record messages if you won’t be online to check out who’s calling. For the paranoid, it offers a 160° field of view with a 4:3 aspect ratio, so you can see who’s calling or parcels on the ground. With 24/7 live streaming, HDR imaging and a night vision mode you can keep an eye on the world day and night.
The Nest x Yale Lock offers tamper-proof, key-free deadbolt security, connected to the central app. This helps the owner to lock and unlock the door remotely. Different people can get passcodes, so you will know who’s coming and going. By being able to see who’s calling the Hello and Lock can work smartly together, but at quite a price.
All of Nest’s devices work with Google’s Assistant, and the iOS and Android apps, all helping connect the smart home and the digital native users. But will anyone outside the gadget and smart home fraternity be tempted? Last year there were plenty of suggestions that smart home has peaked, rather like smartphone sales. It will be interesting to see if this triggers any broader interest.
It’s also interesting to mention that Amazon has acquired Ring last month, who are also building smart doorbells. Who’s going to get a foot in this door and gain more market share? Share your thoughts below in the comments.
YouTube: Nest Hello video doorbell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kIDMEOc1nA
Photo credit: Nest
Source: Nest website / Eugene Kim (CNBC)
