Nest and Yale begin shipping Nest x Yale smart lock

Bringing the convenience of the Nest connected home ecosystem to your front door, the Nest x Yale lock is the first smart lock to be integrated directly into the ubiquitous Nest app, and reaches the market after a lengthy collaborative development process between Silicon Valley company Nest and established lock maker Yale. As an in-app accessory, the Nest x Yale lock will appear as an icon in the Nest app home screen alongside other Nest products, such as the Nest Learning Thermostat, Nest Cam Outdoor, Nest Secure, and other Nest smart-home accessories.

The Nest x Yale lock features a lighted touchscreen and in-app integration with the Nest app for easy locking and unlocking. Image: Nest and Yale. — The Nest x Yale lock features a lighted touchscreen and in-app integration with the Nest connected home ecosystem for easy locking and unlocking. Image: Nest and Yale.

Borrowing heavily from the hardware lineage of Yale’s Assure line of smart locks, the Nest x Yale lock is entirely keyless and similarly designed to replace the deadbolt on conventional entry swing doors, much like that of the August Smart Lock (August Home, the maker of the August Smart Lock, was recently acquired by Swedish conglomerate ASSA ABLOY—also the parent company of Yale). The uniqueness of this lock lies in its tight integration with the Nest ecosystem and app, including remote in-app open/close operations, automatic locking when a Nest Away event is detected, and the ability to automatically disarm a Nest Secure security system as the deadbolt is unlocked.

Designed to replace standard deadbolts, the Nest x Yale lock has a housing on the inside of the door that houses the lock motor. A manual thumbturn enables manual locking or unlocking from the inside. Image: Nest and Yale. — Designed to replace standard deadbolts, the Nest x Yale lock has a metal housing on the inside of the door that shrouds the lock motor and 4 AA batteries. A manual thumbturn enables manual locking or unlocking from the inside. Image: Nest and Yale.

And you will need at least one other Nest product in your home to use the Nest x Yale lock—either a Nest Connect network repeater or a Nest Secure alarm system—as the software integration with Nest is achieved through the use of Nest Weave, a secure protocol that runs over the home Wi-Fi network. Bundles including the Next x Yale lock and Nest Connect are available at $279. For homeowners with an existing Next Secure alarm system, a version without a Nest Connect sells for $249 on the Nest website.

The Nest x Yale lock appears as an icon on the home screen of the Nest app, the only smart lock available to claim that honor. Image: Nest and Yale. — The Nest x Yale lock appears as an icon on the home screen of the Nest app, the only smart door lock available to claim that honor. Image: Nest and Yale.

Like some other Yale smart door locks, the Nest x Yale lock has nothing but a lighted touchscreen keypad on the outside of the door, mated with an housing on the inside fitted with a mechanical thumbturn for manual locking and unlocking. As the lock supports numeric PIN codes, it can be unlocked by typing codes instead of tapping its icon in the Nest app. Codes can be shared with family and friends, and can be issued with expiration dates.

As an indication of its highly integrated capabilities, the Nest x Yale lock is featured on the Nest website’s main product menu and can be purchased directly from Nest if desired. Yale also sells the lock on its website, and it will also be available from many consumer electronics retailers in the U.S., including BestBuy and B&H Photo and Video.

Prior to its CES 2018 press announcement in January, the lock was referred to by the two companies as the Yale Linus lock.

Look for an in-depth, hands-on report on the Nest x Yale lock soon.

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