Here are 6 real reasons why smart or digital locks are expensive and 1 way you can get an upgrade at an affordable price.
It’s undeniable that smart locks and digital locks are increasingly becoming the preferred option for many homeowners because of the features and increased security they bring, despite being a lot more expensive than traditional locks. After all, can you really put a price tag on your peace of mind and the safety of your family and loved ones?
It still begs the question of what exactly goes into a smart lock that makes these devices so expensive.
Research and Development (R&D)
Years of research and development have been invested by companies to develop the technology into what it is today. For example, a reputable lock manufacturing company like Yale prioritises sustainability, whether it is in their efforts to innovate over the years or the development of each product. That kind of focus and determination to do things the right way will require substantial investment.
Security
Smart locks cost more because they are simply more secure. Some smart locks and digital locks come with an alarm system to keep out intruders. These type of locks alerts you when there is a breach in security with a built-in alarm that makes loud noises or alerts you through your phone.
If that is not secure enough for you, the more premium smart locks and digital locks in the market use asymmetric cryptography and PKI encryption technology. For those who do not speak Tech (which is most of us), just know that this technology has never been successfully hacked. This is because it involves a pair of key values that work together with both public and private keys.
The private key is encrypted and readable by the public key according to a sophisticated algorithm. The application of asymmetric cryptography technology requires advanced computer programming skills, which can’t be acquired overnight. What’s important for you to know is that it ensures your lock is hack-proof.
Application and Integration
The reason why smart locks can integrate with your Apple and Google devices is because of the development of technology over the years that allows them to do so, and the development of any technology over time requires investment.
Let’s take something like voice activation technology. The advent of softwares such as OK Google and Siri has made us more accustomed to voice-activated technology. As a result, more and more people have realised that voice activation technology is worth the cost due to increased convenience and accessibility. You will especially feel this on grocery day, and you’ve decided to buy yourself a watermelon.
Of course, new technologies cost more because of the amount of investment that’s been sunk into developing it. As technology advances and becomes more sophisticated, there is a premium on that as well. Some digital locks require specialized apps, hence the importance of keeping application development ongoing if the product’s lifecycle is active and in use. Your app should be able to adapt to emerging technologies, its users’ needs, the markets’ requirements, and, more importantly, to grow and scale as trends and user demands evolve. Yale is one such brand that believes in scaling, supporting, and promoting durability in apps.
Functions and Features
Let’s not forget the cool functions and features that smart locks and digital locks offer you. For example, presence sensors will tell you if your door is either locked or unlocked. So, if you’ve ever had that nagging feeling you’ve left the door unlocked but you’re already buckled into your car and your apartment is 30-stories up the elevator, all you need to do is check your phone app.
Some smart locks and digital locks in the market use fingerprint identification technology that allows you to unlock your door with just a touch. Even something that we expect today like remote control technology, requires years of investment to cultivate for your lock to be able to integrate stably to your mobile devices.
That it can do these wonderful, useful things also means that it is more complicated to install, hence more expensive, which is why it is important to trust only brands that offer you top quality workmanship and can provide you with world-class customer service should you need any post-sales support.
Cost of workmanship
Unlike a traditional lock, installing a smart or digital lock requires both the tactile skills of installing the lock onto your door, as well as the digital know-how to ensure the wiring for the power source is done right and that the lock is interfacing well with your smart devices (if it has this feature). The fact that it contains so many intricate parts would mean it requires a locksmith to have acquired these varied skills and that comes at a cost.
New technology
Smart lock and digital lock companies are constantly investing into and developing new technologies that will result in better solutions for their customers.
For example, locks that have facial recognition software integrated. Yes, these don’t exist just in spy movies anymore, you can have them for your home as well. Yale, for example, will be launching their Yale Luna Pro+ that comes a with facial recognition feature.
Why Yale?
Yale has been in the business of producing locks for over 180 years and they are continuing to innovate even today. Their line of smart locks and digital locks continue to be some of the best in the market with the latest features such as facial recognition, voice activation, remote control, alarm systems and more. That is why they continue to operate in 120 countries around the world. With sustainability at the core of its business, a brand like Yale brings with it quality workmanship, extensive product research and development (R&D), and world-class customer service.
Looking to upgrade? Trade-in for savings
If you’re looking at the features listed above and are wondering if you should switch your existing smart lock or digital lock to one of the latest models with top-line features, then Yale has a deal that will sweeten things for you.
If you’re an existing Yale smart lock or digital lock user, you can now trade in your existing lock for a new one and get a 20% discount from the regular price. This program is available in any Yale Smart Shops in Malaysia only. Applicable for smart lock installed within Klang Valley