Nest Hello doorbell and Nest x Yale lock are now available
Months after they were first announced, the video doorbell and smart lock are finally available to buy online.
The Nest Hello video doorbell and the Nest x Yale smart lock are finally available for sale beginning today on Nest's online store, but not on Amazon.
Nest's Hello, a $229 (roughly £165/AU$290 converted) hardwired buzzer with a built-in 1600 x 1200 high-definition camera, first debuted in September 2017. Like the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor and the Nest Cam IQ Indoor, the Hello has free livestreaming, motion detection and person alerts. The doorbell's camera can also scan faces from a database you create in the Nest app -- and actually tell you if a friend or family member is at the front door. Facial recognition requires a subscription to the Nest Aware cloud recording service, which starts at $5 per month. Read more about Nest Aware.
The $249 (roughly £180/AU$315 converted) Nest x Yale lock has been even longer in the making. First introduced in 2015 as the Yale 'Linus' lock, the Nest x Yale is a smart deadbolt developed jointly by Nest and lock-maker Yale. Similar to existing Yale locks, this long-awaited model replaces your old deadbolt and related external hardware. It has an integrated keypad for entering your unique PIN code and runs on four AA batteries. You won't find a keyhole on the Nest x Yale lock, but Nest is supposed to send you alerts when your batteries are running low (to make sure you don't accidentally get locked out of your house).
Similar to Nest's other devices, the Hello and the Nest x Yale are accessible via the Nest app for Android and iOS. And, if you have multiple Nest products, they can work together to create a fairly comprehensive smart home automation and security system.
During a product demo in San Francisco, Maxime Veron, Nest's Director of Product Marketing, showed me how to use the Hello, the Nest x Yale, the Nest Cam IQ Indoor, and the Nest Secure alarm system together in a home. Because the Nest Cam IQ Indoor now works with Google Assistant, it says "Someone's at the front door" whenever someone rings your Hello doorbell. This works with Google's Home, Home Mini and Home Max speakers, as well. In addition, you can set your Nest Secure system to disarm and your Nest Cam IQ Indoor to turn off when you unlock your Nest x Yale lock.
We'll be testing out the Hello doorbell, the Nest x Yale lock and all of their related automations in short order, so check back soon for full reviews.
