11 Reasons Why Smart Locks are Expensive

Digital Lock Singapore - Many offices and homes use smart door locks as their security system.

This is related to the many advantages provided by these home security essentials. 

Even though it has many benefits, why are smart locks expensive?

This question must be answered because potential consumers must know what makes this smart lock for a house expensive and worth buying.

If you are also wondering why this digital door lock is so expensive, let's see the complete explanation in the article below!

What is Smart Lock?

Before discussing why smart lock door is expensive, let's first examine the meaning of this building security.

Smart door locks or electronic door locks are a part of smart home devices that are useful for securing home or office doors. If you have installed this tool, you will no longer have a conventional key but a more sophisticated security technology.

This digital lock for the front door gives you more power to monitor and control your home or office. 

From a distance, using your smartphone, you can see who is coming or going, even though you are not at home.

Uniquely, you can also give entry access to anyone with the virtual key feature, such as family, friends, or staff who work for you.

With access limited to only a few people, you can feel safer and reduce the potential for theft because security is the most important thing users consider. 

Because you no longer use conventional keys, you will depend on the mobile application when using door locks or keyless entry door locks.

Applications on smartphones or other gadgets will help with various security administrations, like setting passwords, giving access to other people, etc.

11 Reasons Smart Locks are Expensive

Based on the explanation above, in simple terms, a smart key door lock replaces ordinary keys with a digital format.

If its role is as a substitute, then why does the smart door locks price look so expensive

You might question this, considering that the average price of the best digital door lock on the market is quite expensive, even though, amid current technological advances, there are many cheap, sophisticated gadgets.

So, to answer your question, consider the reasons below:

1. Using Geofencing Technology

Several companies have used geofencing technology to maximize its performance in their smart lock front door.

Geofencing technology is a sophisticated technology that uses GPS data to monitor various moving objects, whether humans, animals, or other objects. 
 
Now, when this technology is included in a smart lock, this home security device can detect every movement of the application user near the house so that the door can open automatically when the distance is close.

That way, you don't need to enter passwords, swipe your smart card, or use your fingerprint.

So, because this advanced technology is used, the complexity of the security system will be even higher. The process of testing the application also requires more and more costs. So, the price will be higher when it is a ready-to-use product.

2. Alarm Systems

Many smart locks Android and other types, use sophisticated and relatively expensive alarm systems to provide maximum protection.

With this system, when someone attempts to damage or break into the house, an alarm will sound at the house.

Your smartphone will also receive warning notifications so you can check and take appropriate action.

3. Remote Control

With remote control using an application on a smartphone, users do not always have to be at home to monitor and grant or prohibit access to the house.

To provide this feature, smart locks require sophisticated technology, so the device's price automatically increases.

The price also gets more expensive when you add a Wi-Fi adapter. But this is commensurate with the benefits obtained, where anyone who has permission to enter the house can enter because they have received permission from the house owner via their cell phone.

4. Voice Activation Technology

When you have difficulty opening the door using a password or smart card because you carry many items, this voice activation technology will be beneficial.

You can activate voice commands so that the door can open automatically. 

However, you should set unique orders because the sound system is still quite vulnerable to hacking. Hence, they are challenging to guess.

Because you add voice activation, the device will be more complex, increasing the price.

Some users still choose devices with additional voice features because they make accessibility and convenience easier.

5. Encryption and Cryptography

The combination of asymmetric cryptography and PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) encryption in some smart locks allows devices to be much more secure than smart locks that do not use these features.

This is proven by several brands of smart locks that irresponsible parties can never hack.

However, getting a performance like that requires complicated computer programming, where each process involves more technology, skills, and time investment.

6. Research and Development

Before the smart door lock reaches your hands, the developers at the company have carried out research and development, which took quite a long time, until many years later.
To carry out these two things, the company certainly has to make significant investments in funds and other resources. 

So, it is natural that the price of products carried out with in-depth research is relatively high.

7. Presence Sensors

This presence sensor can track whether the door is locked, unlocked or open.

To be able to provide this function, there is a sophisticated technology that can record or track all these conditions.
Because of this, the components and installation are more complicated, so smart locks are more expensive.

8. Touch Panel Technology

Fingerprint identification technology on some smart locks can allow you to access the door using your fingerprint or just one touch.
This technology allows you to register multiple fingerprints of people who can open and close the door without your permission.

Because it has stored several fingerprint data records, this tool can monitor who enters and leaves the house or office.

Currently, there are at least three types of touchpad sensors available, namely:

• Ultrasound Sensors

To read fingerprint patterns, this sensor uses high-frequency sound waves. This tool can work optimally even if your fingers are dirty when you open the door.

• Thermal Line Sensors

This sensor will unlock by recognizing fingerprints based on the temperature on the palm and back of the hand. For the sensor to recognize it, you have to move your finger over the scanner.

• Capacitive Scanners

Compared to the other two types of touchpad sensors, capacitive scanners are much more expensive because they use a series of capacitor pixels, making it difficult to fake fingerprints to access doors.

As you can see, smart locks have several touchpad sensors with different levels of security and prices.

This touchpad technology is cheaper than some biometric sensors. But this tool still drains your wallet quite a bit compared to other smart locks because additional software is attached to the smart lock.

9. Need a Particular Application

Usually, you can integrate this tool with several smart home applications. However, some companies create their apps as other features may need to be compatible with regular smart home apps.

Because it requires its application, the company automatically needs a team to develop the application. In this way, the equipment production budget continues to increase, so consumers have to pay quite expensive prices.

10. Large Memory Capacity

In smart locks that use passcodes and fingerprint sensors, brands usually insert large-capacity memory. This large memory capacity helps store variations in passcode data of up to 150 and 200 fingerprints.

Apart from that, the large memory capacity also allows you to use five types of passcodes, namely:

• custom
• permanent
• one-time
• cyclic
• timed

Due to the large internal memory capacity, production costs, maintenance and storage systems will be more expensive and complicated than other types.

11. Installation Costs

The final reason that makes using a smart door lock more expensive is the installation cost because you can only install it yourself if you are still familiar with this technology.

The installation process requires professional personnel to physically install and connect the smart lock to the application or smart home network.

These experts will ensure that all components are installed perfectly, starting from the keypad, battery, key, and internal circuitry.

With a processing time of up to 90 minutes, until it can be used, you will have to pay a service fee. It ultimately makes the total cost of using this tool much more expensive.

 

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Related Content : Here’s What to Do When Smart Lock Battery Dies

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Is It Worth It to Buy an Expensive Smart Lock?

Through the eleven reasons above, some of you may already understand why smart door locks that look expensive are worth considering.

However, if there are still doubts, let's clarify whether this digital security system is feasible.

Some believe the more expensive a product is, the better the quality. 

The answer to that statement is maybe yes or no. But in the context of smart locks, the answer is yes!
Every user will get quality and service commensurate with the price paid. This product offers more than just the popularity of the brands like some other products.

By installing a more expensive security lock, you can feel safer and more comfortable at home or in the office. This is due to considering several aspects below:

1. Offer the Best Quality

It is because the product development process is serious (and expensive) to present a product with minimal security gaps and uses excellent materials. With the tool's durability and visuals being rugged for thieves to penetrate, the psychology of ordinary thieves will refuse to break into your house because it feels impossible.

2. Difficult to Access

Many thieves give up breaking into a house with a smart lock because handling this tool takes a long time. They took a long time to decode the house door and were at risk of being detected because there were alarms and security cameras on the door.

3. Lower Risk

We cannot deny that no matter how expensive security is, the potential for theft still exists, especially if the thief is professional and understands the condition of your home. However, with the presence of this expensive, high-tech tool, the risk of being targeted by thieves is lower than in a house with a conventional lock.

So, consider security, comfort, and long-term protection. In that case, the high price of a smart lock product is very commensurate with these three things.

As long as you have the budget and are planning to improve security at home or office, a smart door lock is one tool that should be taken into consideration.

 

Types of Smart Locks that You Can Use

If you are interested in using this door security after seeing the explanation above, then please consider several types of smart locks below:

1. Keypad Door Locks

This type is the most common and easy to find because to open it; we need to enter a code on the numeric keypad so that the door of the house or office opens.
Not only does it provide a numeric keypad, but this type also provides a hole for a conventional key. 

 

2. NFC (Near Field Communication), RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), and Bluetooth

If you use a smart lock with one of the above technologies, you will need a key fob or mobile app to control it.

For the application to connect with the smart lock, your distance must be 76 meters to 122 meters. So there is a limited distance to access it.

 

3. Wi-Fi Smart Lock

Compared to the two previous types of smart locks, Wi-Fi devices are much more sophisticated and expensive.

You can get the functionality of both previous locks with a Wi-Fi smart lock. The difference is that users can control it remotely if there is a Wi-Fi connection at home.
That way, you can monitor your home more safely and comfortably anywhere. 

So, looking at why smart locks are so expensive and other strengthening aspects, you can immediately buy this tool for your home. But do your research so that the tools you buy suit your needs!

 

Cheers,

Hoz,

 

Your Best Digital Lock Provider