August Home and Yale announce HomeKit-enabled smart locks at CES

Introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Emtek EMPowered Smart Lock — Connected by August is a new deadlock that works with August's cloud technology. In doing so, it allows you to perform numerous tasks from your smartphone. These tasks include the ability to lock and unlock your doors, manage lock settings, share virtual keys with visitors, and more remotely.

Available in three different versions with either a touchscreen keypad or with a keyed entry-set, the Emtek EMPowered Smart Lock offers August's flagship features, including Auto-Unlock, Auto-Lock, and DoorSense technology.

The new deadbolt will arrive in February with a keypad version costing $440. In April, a physical key version launches for $370.

Meanwhile, there's the Yale Assure Lever Lock which has been designed to work in interior rooms with non-deadbolt entry doors. Available with either a push button keypad or capacitive touchscreen, these locks offer a key-free Academy Lever with a transitional curved look to match the curve of the keypad.

The Yale Assure Lever Lock represents the first non-deadbolt option in the Assure Lock series. It's also the first non-deadbolt solution announced for the Connected by August initiative from Yale's sister company.

Ideally suited for single-hole doors, the Yale Assure Lever Lock can be fully integrated into a smart home or alarm system with the addition of a Connected by August, Z-Wave Plus, or Zigbee Yale Smart Module. Smart Modules for Control4 and Crestron are expected to launch this year as well.

Available in three different finishes, including satin nickel, polished brass, and oil-rubbed bronze, the Assure Lever Lock launches launch this spring for between $149 and $299, depending on the model and connectivity.

According to Jason Williams, president of Yale's Residential Group:

The new Yale Assure Levers introduce further innovation, easier installations, and more advanced integrations - all packaged up in beautifully clean designs. It's a valuable addition to our Assure Lock line, allowing our customers to put smart locks on their interior and entry doors without a deadbolt.

Yale has also announced that the company's Yale Real Living Locks with Z-Wave, which includes the Assure Lock line, now works with the Ring Alarm home monitoring system. In doing so, users can disarm their security system by unlocking their Yale lock or arm the system by locking it. August also plans on integrating its Smart Lock Pro with the Ring Alarm system, to roll out early this year.