Aqara Sensible Lock U100 provides Matter to the sensible lock combine

Aqara has kickstarted the Matter sensible lock motion with the launch of the Sensible Lock U100; a sensible deadbolt that performs properly throughout a number of sensible dwelling ecosystems.

In addition to the headline Matter sensible dwelling compatibility, the Aqara Sensible Lock U100 additionally syncs with Apple House, Amazon Alexa, Google House – however there are a number of caveats based mostly on the way you wish to combine it in your house.

Out of the field it may simply act as a Bluetooth sensible lock, residing contained in the Aqara app.

If you wish to add Matter, Alexa, Apple or Google House to the combo then you definately’ll have to pair it with one of many multitudes of Aqara sensible dwelling hubs.

If you need Matter management then that hub must be the Hub M2 as Matter rolled out on that again in February. Different Aqara hubs – just like the Hub M1S, Hub E1, Digicam Hub G3 and Digicam Hub G2H Professional – will apparently be receiving the replace over “the approaching months”.

Even then, it is not fairly so straight ahead (nothing actually is with Matter for the time being)… Alexa, for instance, would not but help locks (or bridges just like the Hub M2) however that’s set to alter quickly.

In the event you go down the Matter / HomeKit route although then the U100 is effectively positioned as additionally it is appropriate with Apple House Key, which signifies that you need to use Apple Pockets to ‘store’ your key and unlock your door with both your iPhone or Apple Watch.

And with Apple’s Energy Reserve characteristic (supported on iPhone XS or later and Apple Watch Collection 4 working watchOS 8 or later) you may even open your door as much as 5 hours after your telephone or watch has run out of battery.

Learn this: One of the best sensible locks

Other than the HomeKit smarts, the U100 additionally helps quite a lot of different unlocking choices together with fingerprint, password, NFC and a mechanical key.

You’re additionally ready, by means of the Aqara House app, to create one-time and periodic passwords to present entry to visitors for brief time period, long run, or particular time frames.

The U100 is powered by 4 AA batteries and Aqara tells us this equates to eight months of life. You’ll get a low battery energy warning at 20% and in case you do let the juice run dry you need to use a bodily key or cost it by way of a USB-C port.

Aqara is a quickly increasing model and is a superb choice in case you’re on the lookout for cheap, dependable methods to develop your Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant powered sensible properties.

A few years again we printed our complete Aqara sensible dwelling evaluation; so be sure to take a learn of that for extra data and particulars of precisely what’s on supply – we’ll be updating that evaluation very quickly as effectively, so keep tuned for that.

The Sensible Lock U100 is on the market proper now on Aqara’s Amazon store for $189.99.