Google’s Successor to the Nest × Yale Lock Arrives
Ben Schoon reports for 9to5 Google the first-ever “Google Home Preferred” product is here and it’s the successor to the Nest × Yale lock: the $189 Yale Smart Lock with Matter.
The Matter moniker is an important detail, as it means the Yale Smart Lock can be used with Google Home, Alexa—and, pertinent to my preferred ecosystem, Apple’s HomeKit.
“This lock is very much designed to fit into Google’s ecosystem and acts as a successor to the Nest × Yale Lock,” Schoon said of Yale’s newest smart lock. “The design of the lock is meant to match the finish of Google’s Nest Doorbell lineup, with ‘Snow’ and ‘Matte Black’ finishes available today and an ‘Ash’ colorway coming later on. The accents on each are meant to match common door hardware finishes. As a backup to your app or a keycode, there’s a keyhole which was missing on the Nest × Yale Lock.”
I’m writing about this because (a) Curb Cuts is my website; but (b) because I’ve been using the legacy Nest × Yale lock for a few years now. It still works with aplomb, but admittedly part of my allegiance to sticking with it is due to the fact I’m simultaneously clutching to the OG Nest app on iOS and iPadOS for dear life. I do have Google Home on my devices too, but the UI, design-wise, is inferior to that of the old Nest app. Someday the Nest app will be put out to pasture and I’ll begrudgingly have to adopt Google Home. But today is not that day, so I’ll be riding with the Nest app until the absolute very end.
Speaking of an end, this week’s news from Schoon on the new Yale Smart Lock means damn near every device in my smart home setup—all devices running through HomeKit via the Starling Home Hub—is, while remaining perfectly serviceable in a functional sense, is otherwise “antiquated” and summarily discontinued technologically.
Nest Hello doorbell
Nest E thermostat (with accompanying room sensors)
Nest Protect smoke and carbon dioxide detector
Nest Outdoor Cams
Nest × Yale door lock
The Nest × Yale lock in particular has been a game-changer for me in terms of accessibility. It only controls the deadbolt, however, as my partner still prefers a physical key for the actual doorknob. Nonetheless, not having to fiddle with the key on both locks is far more accessible; my lackluster hand-eye coordination makes it such that it can be hard to find the keyhole, insert the key, and turn. Especially when coming home with, say, a bag of groceries, that I can use my iPhone—or better yet, Siri—to unlock the door transcends sheer convenience. It makes my house more accessible.
As to a potential upgrade, I’m intrigued by another Yale product: the Assure Lock 2 Plus. On its website, the company describes it as “the smart lock made for Apple users” as it supports Apple’s Home Key feature. Released with iOS 15 in 2021, Home Key allows users to use their iPhone or Apple Watch as their “house keys” by integrating with the Wallet app on iOS and watchOS. The reason I’m so fascinated by Home Key is, of course, accessibility; instead of tapping a button, I could simply hold my device close to the Assure Lock 2 Plus and the door would unlock. This is exactly why I adore the Auto Unlock feature in Waymo, whereby the car doors unlock as you approach. The Waymo One app does have an Unlock button, but it’s far more accessible to not have to tap it.
For the foreseeable future, though, I’ll be clinging to my OG Nest × Yale lock.
