The August Lock is one of my favorite HomeKit devices I own, so when I came across the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock, it was something I was immediately curious to try to see how it worked with HomeKit, as I’ve not used an indoor lock before.

HomeKit Weekly is a series focused on smart home accessories, automation tips and tricks, and everything to do with Apple’s smart home framework.


Where the August Lock is a great device for securing the outside of your home, the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock is meant for securing cabinets in your home. What kind of cabinets could you use this for? Well, depending on your home setup, it could be useful to secure a liquor cabinet, medicine cabinet, personal documents, cleaning supplies, or anything you want to keep somewhat secure in your home.

If you’re familiar with the August Lock app, you’ll be familiar with the Yale Access App. It looks very similar. You can use the August app to control all of your Yale products as well. The integration means it’s going to be a natural extension of your August experience. If you’re comfortable using the August app for your door, then you’ll enjoy the same experience with the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock.

Installation of the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock is straightforward, but it’ll require following the instructions pretty closely for it to work correctly. You’ll need to have a Phillips screwdriver to completely install it into your cabinet, and Yale has put a nice video together showing the entire process.

Thankfully, the screws are on the small side, so if you end up removing the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock in the future, the holes will be pretty easy to fill. Since they’re on the inside part of the cabinet, you might get away with not repairing them as well.

Yale Smart Cabinet Lock with HomeKit

yalehome scl 1020x510px 2

Like the August Lock, you can add the Yale Smart Cabinet Lock to HomeKit as well. You’ll be able to lock and unlock it using the Home app, similar to how you do the August Lock. If you put it on your liquor cabinet, you could build a HomeKit automation to automatically unlock it based on when the parents are home, etc.

Bluetooth vs. Wi-Fi

yalehome scl 1020x510px 1

Similar to the August Lock, you have the option of buying a Bluetooth-only package, or one with the Wi-Fi Bridge. If you’re using HomeKit, you technically don’t have to use the Bridge. I like having it so I don’t have to worry about connecting with Bluetooth if HomeKit is being a bit flaky for some reason. The Connect Bridge is required for Google Home and Amazon Alexa as well.

Wrap-up

The Yale Smart Cabinet Lock is a super-simple device. It’ll take you around 20 minutes to install, and it’ll keep a cabinet perfectly secure. If you have teenagers at home for periods by themselves, it’s the perfect way to secure your liquor cabinet or medicine cabinet and keep track of when (and who) last opened it.

The best for Google

Nest Cam (2021)

Google Nest Cam 2021

The best for HomeKit

Logitech Circle View

Logitech Circle View Camera

Google's versatile Nest Cam (2021) offers flexible mounting options and plays nicely with iOS and Android. With a built-in rechargeable battery, magnetic mounting, theft protection, and the ability to add 24/7 continuous recording, the Nest Cam is the better overall camera for those who live outside of one ecosystem.

$180 at Google

Pros

  • Works indoors and outdoors
  • Multiple mounting options
  • Long battery life
  • Local storage of one hour
  • Theft protection included

Cons

  • Duration
  • Most features require a subscription
  • Must be connected for continuous recording

The sleek, weatherproof design of the Logitech Circle View keeps an eye on the home both inside and out. Made for iOS, the Logitech Circle View takes advantage of all the latest HomeKit camera features and iCloud, making it the best choice for those deep in Apple's walled garden.

$160 at Amazon

Pros

  • Works with HomeKit
  • Supports face recognition, activity zones
  • Uses existing iCloud plan for storage
  • IP weatherproofing

Cons

  • Duration
  • Works only with iOS/HomeKit
  • No local storage
  • No battery option

While there are some significant hardware differences, the choice between the Nest Cam (2021) and the Logitech Circle View comes down to your preference of mobile operating system. For those who prefer Android, the Google Assistant, or want to view their cameras on a Nest Hub, the Nest Cam (2021) is the perfect choice. However, if you're an Apple supporter, the Logitech Circle View is one of the best HomeKit cameras on the market thanks to its seamless integration with iOS, iCloud, and HomeKit.

Nest Cam vs Logitech Circle View: The breakdown

Logitech Circle View Outdoor

Source: Logitech

At their core, both the Nest Cam and Logitech Circle View offer the best in smart home security by providing timely notifications, live check-ins, and cloud recording. Both cameras simplify the setup and installation process by leveraging hub-free Wi-Fi connectivity and their respective smart home platforms. Voice control also makes viewing a feed accessible to anyone in the home, via phones or smart assistant devices.

Depending on your choice of mobile phone, however, your experiences will vary dramatically. You must take into account your totally household before buying. Before we dive too deep into the fray, let's take a look at the full specification.

Nest Cam (2021) Logitech Circle Overview
Price $180 $160
Power Battery or Wired wired
Weatherproofing IP54 IP64
Field of view 130-degrees 180-degrees
Resolution 1080p 1080p
Framerate 30fps 30fps
Aspect ratio 16x9 16x9
HDR Yes No
Night Vision IR, 20 feet IR, 15 feet
Speaker Yes Yes
Microphone Yes Yes
Local Storage Yes, 1 hour No
Smart alerts Yes Yes
Person/Face recognition Yes Yes
Movement zones Yes Yes
Theft protection Yes No
Wi-Fi 2.4GHz/5GHz 2.4GHz
Bluetooth Yes No
Ethernet No No
Voice assistant compatibility Google Assistant Siri/HomeKit

As you can see, there are a few key differences to keep in mind when choosing between the Nest Cam and the Logitech Circle View, but for now we'll focus on the similarities. Both cameras sport all the smart security essentials: two-way audio with built-in microphones and speakers, high-definition video, and smart alerts.

The Nest Cam and Logitech Circle View are also weatherproof, so you can monitor outdoor spaces year-round without worrying about protecting them from the elements. Finally, both cameras rely solely on Wi-Fi for smart home connectivity, no hardwire options are available. Now let's move on to the differences, starting with the hardware and design.

Nest Cam vs. Logitech Circle View: Design

Google Nest Cam 2021 Magnetic Attachment

Source: Google

The Nest Cam and the Logitech Circle View each have a premium design and are only available in one finish, but that's where the similarities end. For starters, the Nest Cam has a two-piece detachable design, making it more flexible in terms of mounting options. Google's camera comes with a magnetic mount and a traditional hardware mount in the box, but oddly not a stand for tabletop placement.

Another key difference is that the Nest Cam includes an internal rechargeable battery. Combined with the magnetic mount, you can install the Nest Cam almost anywhere in seconds. Disassembling it to charge it thus becomes a breeze. The internal battery will last up to seven months before it needs to be recharged, but weather and the amount of activity in front of the camera will affect the overall battery life. Finally, if you're worried about someone making off with your camera, Google also offers free theft protection with purchase.

Logitech Circle View Wire

Source: Christopher Close / iMore

This means that even though it's "wireless", you still have to plug it in for power - which may limit placement options.

The Circle View is a slim, all-black Logitech camera, making it slightly more discreet outdoors. The Circle View is a one-piece camera, with the lens rotating above a metal base that serves as a stand and wall mount. The camera comes with the necessary hardware for wall mounting, but there is no magnetic mount option available.

Also, unlike the Nest Cam, the Circle View lacks an internal battery. The lack of a battery means that although the camera is "wireless," you still have to plug it in for power - which may limit its placement options. The advantage of the Circle View is that you can pretty much set it up and forget about it, but if you're mounting it outdoors, you'll need to plan it carefully.

Nest Cam vs. Logitech Circle View: Video and recording

Google Nest Cam 2021 Outdoors

Source: Google

As mentioned earlier, both smart cameras record video and stream video in high definition - 1080p at 30fps, to be exact. Both cameras use the standard 16x9 widescreen format, but they offer a different overall view of the environment. The Logitech Circle View uses an ultra-wide 180-degree field of view that's better suited for outdoor use, while the Nest Cam has a narrower 130-degree field of view. However, the Nest Cam is able to use HDR, which should provide a slightly better picture.

For recording, both cameras mainly store videos in the cloud - which of course means another new subscription. For the Nest Cam, the Nest Aware service is available in two plans starting at $6 per month for unlimited cameras. The basic Nest Aware plan offers an ongoing 30 days of recorded events, while the $12 Plus plan boosts this to 60 days and adds ten days of 24/7 continuous recording. Regardless of the plan, the Nest Cam also stores one hour of events on the device, in case your Wi-Fi goes down while you're on the go.

Nest Aware features

Source : Google

Cloud storage for the Logitech Circle View works a little differently than you might expect. Instead of purchasing a subscription through Logitech, the camera records video directly to Apple's iCloud service. Through iCloud, the camera uses your existing storage plan, so you don't have to sign up for anything extra. You can also rest easy knowing that events in your home are encrypted and stored securely in Apple's cloud.

If you don't already have an iCloud storage plan, you'll pay from $0.99 per month for one camera, $2.99 per month for five cameras, and $9.99 per month for an unlimited number of cameras. Each plan gives you access to ten days of continuous recording in Apple's Home app, but 24/7 continuous recording and local storage are unfortunately not available with the Circle View. One nice perk of the iCloud subscription is that recorded video doesn't count against your storage capacity, so you don't have to worry about your cameras eating your photo backups.

Nest Cam vs Logitech Circle View: Smart home integration

Logitech Circle View Homekit Integration Lifestyle

Source: Logitech

What really sets the two cameras apart is how they integrate with smart home assistants and apps. As you might have guessed, the Nest Cam leverages the power of the Google Assistant and other Nest devices. For example, with a Nest Hub, you can summon a live image from the Nest Cam on-demand with just a shout, and you can even speak to whoever is lurking outside your home.

What really sets the two cameras apart is how they integrate with smart home assistants and apps.

With a Nest Aware subscription, the Nest Cam analyzes activity to determine who - or what - is within its view. Image analysis allows you to filter out potential nuisance notifications, such as a pet running across your yard or vehicles if your camera is focused on a street. Image analysis also adds face detection, so you can set the camera to only notify you if it detects an unfamiliar face.

As mentioned earlier, Logitech's Circle View camera is built exclusively for Apple's HomeKit smart home platform. While exclusivity means that you can only view and manage the camera on Apple devices, it also means that the camera features anything that HomeKit has to offer - including HomeKit Secure Video and Siri.

Using HomeKit, the Circle View gets the same image analysis features and smart alerts as the Nest Cam. Yet it does so privately by processing activity locally on devices like the Apple TV and HomePod mini. Siri lets you call up a live view of your camera on your iOS device with just your voice, and you can always view recordings and more through the Home app built into your iPhone. And if you have an Apple TV, you can even view all the events and alerts about activities on the big screen.

Nest Cam vs. Logitech Circle View: Which one should you buy?

Logitech Circle View Camera on a shelf

Source: Logitech

Ultimately, the choice between the Nest Cam and Logitech Circle View essentially comes down to your household's preferences when it comes to mobile devices and smart assistants. If your family is all about Apple's ecosystem, the Logitech Circle View offers the best possible integration. Using the Home app that's already on all your Apple devices or Siri, managing and sharing your camera is about as seamless as it gets when combined with iCloud storage.

On the other hand, if your home contains a mix of Android phones and iPhones - or if you don't want to live within one platform, the Nest Cam is the way to go. Not only is Google's camera more flexible on the software side of things, but it's also more flexible with its integrated rechargeable battery and magnetic mounting options. Add in the one-hour local backup recording and theft protection, and you've got a camera that meets all the requirements.

Google's largest

Google Nest Cam 2021

Nest Cam (2021)

The best for your Google home

Google's latest Nest Cam offers wireless convenience with a convenient magnetic mount and a long-lasting battery. One hour of local recording keeps an eye on your home while Wi-Fi goes down, and theft protection adds security for your investment.

HomeKit hero

Logitech Circle View Camera

Logitech Circle View Weatherproof wired home security camera

The best HomeKit camera you can buy

The Logitech Circle View's seamless integration with iOS and HomeKit makes setting up and managing the camera incredibly easy. A sleek, weather-resistant design allows for indoor and outdoor placement.

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