I am very happy with my second generation August smart lock. I am not using Wi-Fi – just Bluetooth. I also had a Schlage deadbolt that was not included on the approved list. I have an iPhone 5S.
Q&A: Before giving my review, let me answer some questions that I had and that I haven't seen answered anywhere else (except for the answers to questions that I added myself):
Question: can you still use Siri with the lock if you don't have AppleTV or August connect?
Answer: yes. You can still use Siri to lock, unlock, and give you the status of the lock, but you need to be in Bluetooth range.
Question: if you use the "auto unlock feature," how can you be sure that when you walk to your door to see who rings the bell, it won't sense you and automatically unlock the door?"
Answer: the auto unlock feature will not activate until you've gone several blocks away from your front door. Even if you're out of Bluetooth range – I think that when you get back into Bluetooth range, your phone sends the lock a signal, indicating that you haven't been that far away, so the automatic unlock does not activate. Another example: if you simply walk outside to take out the garbage and lock the door behind you, that is probably not far enough for the auto-unlock to function.
Question: If you use the auto unlock feature on your front door, go far enough away for it to function, but then come in through a different door, Will it automatically unlock the front door once you come within Bluetooth range?
Answer: yes. For me, I have this lock set on our front door and as I was entering my garage, I received a notice that it had automatically unlocked the front door. I was disappointed at this and have since disabled the auto unlock feature. I am not "penalizing" August for this, as I think the only fix would be to allow the user to adjust the Bluetooth range and I'm not aware of any app that allows that.
Question: if your phone is already using Bluetooth to connect to something else, like a headset, will it still also connect with the lock?
Answer: yes. It will recognize a lock and you can still use your phone to lock and unlock the door. Admittedly, I have not tried this while being actually on a phone call.
SET UP. Set up was super simple. I am getting better at doing home repairs, but I consider myself someone who can replace things rather than put something in brand new. For example, I can't just say "I'm going to install a light here," but if the light is there, I can replace it with something else. I figured it would not be a big deal for me to remove part of our deadbolt and replace it with the August lock. I was correct. I just followed the instructions and it really only took me 10 minutes because I wanted to make sure I went slowly. And I would say that a good two of those minutes was spent on something really dumb – if you have a Schlage deadbolt, then the colored attachment piece you will use has its slot on the diagonal, from upper right to lower left, with a little notch on top. For the life of me, I could not figure out how to get the little attachment piece set that way with the knob on top. For me, it was on the bottom. If this happens to you, here's the solution: flip the little piece around so that the end closest to you is now closest to the outside part of the door!
INSTRUCTIONS. If you look at the instructions and get nervous, thinking that they are too long or detailed, realize that August really did a wonderful job in breaking down each step. This makes the instructions longer, but easier to follow. It is the products that try to keep their instructions short that force you to use your own judgment or interpretation of what they're saying, making the install harder. This really was simple.
OPERATIONS. The lock works great. The app has been working great – it recognizes and syncs with the lock right away. It is easy to lock and unlock with my phone app and it is still very easy to lock and unlock by hand. The iOS widget make it super-quick to pull up the app if you do not want to use Siri
AESTHETICS. Visually, the unit looks cool – modern lines – but it is big. Maybe a hockey puck that is twice the height and 1-1/2 times the circumference? I found a really good way to "hide" the bulk somewhat, while adding additional protection, but it adds to the amount of work involved. There is something called a door lock reinforcer, which reinforces the part of the door around the lock. Since people who break in doors kick them in by the lock because it is the weakest part of the door, this gives added security, and if you match the color of your reinforcer to the color of your August unit, they blend in together and it hides some of the bulk. Following are a couple of links to a reinforcer that should work for the silver and a reinforcer that I can attest works for the black one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006GDULOK/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_tai_LNazxbY34J4HB
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D2K35GQ/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_tai_KPazxbAWVY8CX
Of course, if your current lock set is not silver or this dark brown/black, you will either want to forget about this or change out the lock set. I'm giving you links to ones that cover the upper deadbolt and the lower door handle, but they do also sell them for just the deadbolt, so if you did not want to bother removing the lower handles, just look for reinforcers for the single deadbolt. The only other thing you need to know about reinforcers is that other than using a screwdriver, you may need to sand down the portion of your door in order for it to close right since it increases door thickness. I think the extra work was well worth the added security and better aesthetics.
Now, if you are like me and use this as an opportunity to change all of your hardware – a new outside deadbolt and a new door handle system, well…that could create a project as it did for me, but the difficult part was following the instructions to install the new equipment. The August lock portion was super simple!
| Brand | August Home |
|---|---|
| Lock Type | Key Lock |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.4 x 3.4 x 2.2 inches |
| Style | Smart Lock Homekit Edition |
| Color | Dark Gray |
| Finish Type | Powder Coated |
| Controller Type | IFTTT, Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa |
| Item Weight | 13.92 ounces |
| Control Method | Voice |
| Connectivity Protocol | Wi-Fi |
| Manufacturer | August Home Inc |
| Part Number | AUG-SL02-M02-G02 |
| Item Weight | 13.9 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 3.4 x 3.4 x 2.2 inches |
| Item model number | ASL-02 |
| Batteries | 4 AA batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 2.20 x 3.40 x 3.40 inches |
| Finish | Powder Coated |
| Pattern | Apple HomeKit, Android, Amazon Alexa, and Nest |
| Installation Method | Retrofit installation works with most standard single cylinder deadbolts Installation requires a standard Philips screwdriver |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1, 2, 8 |
| Batteries Included? | Yes |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
| Battery Cell Type | Alkaline |
| Warranty Description | 1 year |
