“At this point, NUCLI does not yet meet our quality expectations. We will continue to work towards the goal of developing a product that meets our standards and will provide you updates as we have them.”
The project is a great example of why crowdfunded projects take longer than expected to arrive — and sometimes don’t arrive at all.
Here’s our original article on the Indiegogo project from September if 2015:
There’s no shortage of smart door locks and door bells on the market. It’s no wonder, as they deliver on the promise of the smart home: They make your life easier and hopefully more secure. With a video door bell, you can see who’s ringing your bell without having to peek through a peephole, and keyless entry is way easier than fumbling around with your hands full. Westinghouse, which makes everything from light bulbs to TVs to batteries, is getting in on the game, too.
Instead of introducing its Nucli Smart Lock directly to the market, the 129-year-old company launched an Indiegogo campaign. What makes the lock a bit unique is that it’s sort of a door bell and deadbolt in one. It has a camera and microphone, so you can see and communicate with whomever is on your stoop, and your visitors can even leave messages if you’re not home or away from your phone.
With the accompanying iOS, Android, or Windows app, you can remotely lock and unlock your door. There are four ways to enter via the Nucli: with the app, using a key fob, with a pin and the keypad, or using your fingerprint. The biometrics feature also sets the Nucli apart from many similar products on the market. You can give out unique pins to up to 50 people, if you’re super popular (or are using the lock on your business).
While there doesn’t appear to be a way to use traditional keys to unlock the deadbolt, the battery-operated Nucli has a slot for a 9-volt battery as a backup if you get locked out when the batteries (which should last six months) die.
The tech-packed lock doesn’t come cheap, though that doesn’t seem to be scaring crowdfunders away. Westinghouse has already raised nearly $90,000. You can still get in for an early bird price of $299 and have it delivered by December. The lock will eventually retail for $440. That’s pretty close to what it would cost to buy an August Smart Lock ($247) and a Ring Smart Doorbell ($199) separately.
