Digital locks in S’pore now packed with new features including face recognition. Should homeowners upgrade?

Kaadas, the world's largest digital smart lock manufacturer, is holding a year-end sale.

The brand is offering a 15 per cent storewide discount for those four days — from Black Friday on Nov. 29 to Cyber Monday on Dec. 2.

You might be reading this article because you’re looking for a new digital lock.

Or, you might be curious about what a digital lock can do for you.

Here’s an introduction to digital locks and how they can help provide extra convenience and security for your household, and a look at the deals Kaadas is offering.

Should I get a digital lock?

Here are some things you need to know if you’re thinking of upgrading your door (and gate) lock to a digital one.

Digital lock technology keeps improving

Over time, digital lock makers have introduced various new features — such as new ways of verifying identity.

Just like how many smartphones are unlocked with face recognition technology these days, digital locks are starting to do so too.

The K20 Pro Max, Kaadas’ flagship model, is one such digital lock.

It uses a structured light 3D scanner to ensure accurate recognition of the faces registered.

Such 3D scanners are so accurate that the scans of a person’s face will capture details in terms of millimetres — ensuring that only registered users are able to unlock the door.

Face recognition is just one of the features coming out from Kaadas’ dedicated R&D facilities, with other new features, such as vein recognition (for those whose fingerprints may be worn down due to age or skin condition) being introduced recently.

Convenience benefits of a digital lock

It may seem obvious, but it’s worth pointing out: A digital lock means you’ll no longer have to bring keys around.

Not needing keys means no more fumbling to reach your pocket while handling bags of groceries.

It also means being able to head out for a run (or an overseas trip) without needing to take special precautions to keep your keys safe.

The ability to set a one-time PIN means you can control access to your home in certain special situations, such as having a part-time helper come over while you are out.

You can also set the PIN to grant access only during a specific time of the day — without worrying about repeated access or unauthorised entry outside the designated hours.

Security benefits of a digital lock

This might be another obvious point, but you can’t lose your key if there are no keys.

Biometric security means only members of your household, or trusted friends, can access your home — and not just whoever gets their hands on the keys.

If you’re concerned about the reliability of the fingerprint sensor, Kaadas’ digital locks use sensors from Fingerprint Cards (FPC).

The Swedish company has been making sensors for smartphone makers including Google and BlackBerry since 2014.

High-end digital locks, like the Kaadas K20 Pro Max has a built-in camera that allows you to keep an eye on potentially suspicious persons lurking outside your door.

It comes with an ultra-high-definition 4-inch colour display, which has a 1920x1080p resolution.

Through the lock’s Wi-Fi connection, you can do this on your phone, even if you aren’t home.

These door locks also offer two-way communication via the mobile app, so you can verify the identity of someone who really needs to be there — such as a friend or relative dropping something off, or a repairman.

Free gate lock with purchase of a door lock

For two days only on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, shoppers who purchase a K9-5W door lock at S$839 can get a R8GD gate lock (worth S$539) for free.

This mid-range door-and-gate bundle usually costs S$1,249, which means that the price of S$839 amounts to an almost 33 per cent discount.

The deal is limited to 10 sets per day at Kaadas’ Demo Store in NEX shopping mall in Serangoon, and comes with free installation and a two-year warranty.

The K9-5W door lock has a biometric fingerprint scanner with the capacity to recognise 100 different fingerprints. It can be unlocked via a PIN code or RFID card as well.

It’s also Wi-Fi enabled, which means you can control the lock remotely using an app, including generating a one-time PIN (e.g. if a visitor arrives at your house before you do), and retrieving real-time information on who has unlocked the door.

Two mechanical keys are also provided.

Meanwhile, the R8GD gate lock offers similar features: It can be unlocked by fingerprints, PIN codes, RFID cards, and backup mechanical keys.

But it differs from a door lock, in terms of unlocking methods.

Door locks usually provide a manual means of unlocking the door from the inside, such as a manually-operated turnpiece.

But this is not feasible for a gate lock, as someone could reach through the gate to unlock it.

Thus, many digital locks — including the R8GD gate lock are unlocked via remote control.

To make things even easier, the R8GD gate lock has a fingerprint sensor on the inside as well.

15 per cent storewide discount

For those interested in other models of digital lock offered by Kaadas, there is a 15 per cent storewide discount from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2.

The discount also applies to bundles of door and gate locks, for even greater savings.

For those who buy in-store, Kaadas is also offering an extra year of warranty coverage (for a total of three years) for customers who follow them on Instagram (@kaadas.singapore) and post about the deals on their Instagram Story.

Those wanting to enjoy this deal should set their accounts to public, and show a screenshot of their Instagram Story to Kaadas sales associates.

If you’re keen to explore more, mark your calendar for the sale from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2.

You can head down to the Kaadas Demo Store to experience their products for yourself, before you make a decision on what to buy.

Kaadas Demo Store at NEX Serangoon

Address: NEX Serangoon, 23 Serangoon Central, #B1-70, Singapore 556083

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11am to 9pm

This sponsored article by Kaadas helped this writer decide to get a digital lock for his home.

Top photos via Kaadas