We live in the most technologically advanced era where almost everything around us is getting digitalized and everything is getting smart like smartphones, home appliances, smart TVs, and many more. So why not smart locks should be a better option over traditional locks open manually? So yeah there are some things you should keep in mind before considering the above statement.
What Smart Lock is:
Smart locks are nothing but the upgraded version of traditional locks. Like we open the traditional locks manually with a key or by any other means, Smart lock gives you multiple options to open a door. Imagine you are in your office and suddenly a message pops at your phone that your child’s school gets out early, and you realize that the house is locked and the keys are with you, so either you have to go to your house to open the door or your child has to wait somewhere until you come home. But not with the smart lock you can open your house door with just one click sitting on your chair. That’s what smart lock is capable of.
It gives you multiple options to open a door with a key like traditional, by fingerprint, with the password, voice command, or with your phone. It is super convenient to use.
Advantages Of Smart locks:
• Security: The first and most important factor that defines the quality of hardware is its capability of keeping your house secure. And guess what the smart locks take the upper hand over traditional locks in terms of security. Smart locks offer features like tamper detection, activity logs, and remote locking, making it harder for someone to gain entry. Many companies offer different types of security features like voice command and their mobile applications so you can monitor your house from wherever you are, which will surely enhance the security of the house. So in terms of security smart locks outclass the traditional locks. But still, nothing in this world is as perfect as these smart locks which we discuss later on.
• Convenience: In traditional locks, you only have an option of opening a door by key but in the case of smart locks this is completely different you have multiple ways to do this task through smartphone, fingerprint, smart card, pin, voice command and many more as time passing many adding different features in it. This is helpful when you have your hands full with carrying groceries, carrying your kids, or for remote access for deliveries or guests.
• Flexibility and control: These are useful whenever you are out and someone like friends, family, or service providers comes to your house if you are using traditional locks you have to ask them to wait until you come back but not in case of smart lock you can grant temporary access codes to them. You can set specific access schedules, track entries, and exits, and even receive real-time notifications when your door is unlocked.
• Peace of Mind: You reach your from your office standing in front of the house’s main door and then put your hand in your pocket when you leave your keys at the office. These are some problems that come with traditional locks but not with Smart locks, you can always unlock your door remotely, even if you are miles away. Plus, real-time activity logs provide peace of mind knowing who accessed your home and when.
• Smart Home: If anyone wants to transform their home into a smart home then smart locks play an important role here like whenever you enter your house the lights automatically turn on sounds so cool Right? That’s what smart locks do. They connect to smart home platforms, allowing you to create automated routines.
But as I mentioned earlier nothing in this world is perfect so as smart locks.
Disadvantages of Smart locks:
• Risk of being hacked: Yes the first and most concerning security risk associated with smart locks is they are vulnerable to hacking. It always sounds cool that you have complete access to who is entering your house and who is leaving it, having a video camera on your lock monitoring your front and back yard and you can do all these things with just the mobile app, but imagine some other person gets the access of your smart lock he can also easily perform all the activity mentioned just on sitting on his chair. If he wanted he would plan a robbery in your house very easily with all this information or a kidnap as he knows when your kids coming and leaving your house. And not only this you don’t even know how the company the smart lock you have bought is using the data they have collected.
• Vulnerability towards physical damage: In tridition locks, there is more space to improve the locks to bear any kind of physical damage but this advantage doesn’t come in smart locks. Many of the smart locks are vulnerable to any kind of physical damage, one strike from the hammer, and most of the smart locks are done for. But as the concept of smart locks is new companies are improving on these things and their products are getting better at bearing the outside physical damage.
• Power Dependence: All smartlocks are power dependant means they have to rely on some kind of power source like batteries. And when the power supply stops you might get stuck outside if you don’t have a manual key to open it.
Conclusion:
I have discussed all the advantages and disadvantages and to be honest smart locks have more advantages than disadvantages over traditional locks and companies are working on the drawbacks and improving it.
So in conclusion whether you should go for a smart lock or not. It depends, if you mostly spend your time outside of your home, have a decent budget, and want to monitor your house constantly then smart locks can be best suited for you. So smart locks really are worth to spend,yes they are. They will perform very well in coming future.