Kwikset announced on Thursday a Bluetooth-enabled deadbolt lock that pairs up your iPhone 4S or iPhone 5, and will let you into your abode with a single touch. From the looks of it so far, there won't be an easier way to let yourself into your home.
According to Kwikset, all you need to do is have your iPhone with you, and the phone's Bluetooth Smart-Ready tech communicates with the lock, making it receptive to your touch -- and no one else's. Besides using Bluetooth 4.0's own encryption, the company says there's also military-grade encryption at work. For burglars, it sounds like it would be easier to break the door down than to try to untangle this veritable fortress of cryptography.
Further allaying security fears is the system's passive monitoring capability. It's smart enough to know if you're inside or outside your house, preventing others from following you and unlocking your door after you've gone inside.
If you don't carry around an iPhone all the time, there's the Kevo fob -- one of which is included with the lock -- that gives you that same single-touch unlocking coolness. Simply have that key fob with you, and the touch control unlocks the door. It's similar to the key fobs included with many of today's most newest vehicles, giving you that nifty automatic entry and pushbutton starting. And like those futuristic cars, a conventional key (perhaps hidden under a flowerpot? ) also unlocks the door.
At launch, the company says Kevo will work with any smartphone with Bluetooth 4.0/Smart Ready technology and an app to go with it. However, when Kevo first rolls out for consumers, there will only be an iPhone app available to control it.
The battery is said to last one year, and Kwikset says you'll get plenty of warnings of the battery's imminent demise before you get stuck without your magic door-opening capability. However, you'll still be able to use a conventional key to unlock the door as you do now.
This is not the first time we've seen such magical unlocking capabilities. There is the Lockitron that's been around for a couple of few years already, which lets you lock and unlock doors from anywhere on the planet. That unit has the advantage of not requiring a completely new installation, instead covering your existing deadbolt control with a motorized mechanism that unlocks it from the inside when you trigger it with your smartphone.
The Lockitron is not as convenient as this Kevo gadget promises to be, though. Lockitron requires that you lock or unlock it by tapping an icon on an iPhone app. A newer version that automatically unlocks the door via Bluetooth is on its way, with its maker saying it will be available in summer, 2013. However, that version has been in the works for almost a year already and has already missed deadlines.
The automatic Bluetooth feature will be way-cool. There's something satisfying about walking up to your door, tapping the deadbolt lock and gaining immediate entry. I particularly like the way the lock is encircled in an eerie and almost sinister animated blue glow that displays a circular flashing routine when it recognizes you, turning green when you touch it to unlock the door.
Kevo's downside? Installation might require skills you don't have if you're not particularly handy, because it installs just like most other deadbolts. If you have to enlist the services of a professional, that could cost you $100 or more. And, for Kevo to work, you must always have Bluetooth activated on your iPhone, which can drain the battery faster than if you have Bluetooth off.
On the other hand, an upside is Kevo's ability to let you send an eKey that gives permission to anyone else with an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 (and the Kevo app installed ) to open your door. For example, you could remotely authorize entry to friends, lovers, babysitters or dog walkers whom you trust enough to let into your house -- but only during times you designate.
Update: Kwikset responded to my inquiry about pricing and availability. According to the company's representative, "Kwikset is determining the pricing, but it will be around $249 and available for pre-order in mid-June, shipping this summer."