Smart contactless locks are arriving.
Bring that keyless entry energy to the door of my house.
Smart lock companies have dedicated 2024 to developing various innovations to facilitate access to homes. Some options include the use of Home Key on the Aqara iPhone, a palm scanner by Philips, smart locks with a keypad and fingerprint from August, and a model inspired by Face ID from Lockly. These solutions seem futuristic; however, the question arises: do they really offer a magical experience?
Magic can be compared to how the driver's door of some cars unlocks without the need to touch anything other than the handle. The idea is that smart locks will recognize our approach and act on their own, eliminating the need to stop and use a device, especially when all one wants is to quickly access their home.
Fortunately, during CES 2025, several smart lock manufacturers announced models that will offer support for passive, hands-free entry, meaning no additional steps will be necessary, such as pulling out an RFID keychain or bringing an Apple Watch close to a panel to unlock the door.
One of the standout products at the show is Schlage's new Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt, which includes a ultra-wideband (UWB) chip capable of detecting the trajectory and movement of a paired smartphone to unlock it automatically.
Although Schlage is not the first to incorporate UWB—credit for that goes to Ultraloq and its Bolt Mission model, which was introduced the previous year. Initially, the latter lacked support for the new Aliro access standard backed by Google, Apple, Samsung, and others, which meant there was no support for hands-free unlocking with Apple Home. Now, the Bolt Mission arrives at CES with a planned launch for the first quarter of 2025 and a price of $399, promising that Aliro support and Apple Home hands-free unlocking will be available. Meanwhile, the Lockly Secure Pro also promises to incorporate the Apple feature, priced at $379.99, with a scheduled launch in the fourth quarter. Although these devices will take time to reach the market, smart lock options with UWB are approaching.
On the other hand, some companies continue to utilize other technologies for unlocking. This includes locks with palm scanners, such as TP-Link's Tapo PalmKey and TCL's Smart Lock D1 Pro, which use artificial intelligence to scan the vein patterns in the hand. Aesthetically focused initiatives, like Lockly Styla, and other devices, such as SwitchBot's new Lock Ultra, which features 16 manual unlocking methods, are also present.
Smart lock manufacturers are exploring various options, even incorporating digital peepholes in some models like the Lockly Vision Prestige and the TCL Smart Lock Ultra. However, what is really lacking in today's smart homes is that feeling of moving into the future, where the need to think about traditional concepts of lock, unlock, and press to initiate is eliminated. It remains to be seen whether these locks can carry out their hands-free function reliably and securely, but that option is on the horizon. It is to be hoped that smart lock companies are keeping this transformation in mind when launching their UWB products this year.
