Aqara has launched its U200 smart lock on Kickstarter, where you can currently get the device for $209, down from the $249.99 it will cost you when it goes on sale later this year. According to the Kickstarter page, it will ship to backers in April.
The company presented its new modernized lock at the IFA 2023 technology fair last summer; showing off its Matter-over-Thread connectivity and a separate Bluetooth keyboard with integrated fingerprint reader and NFC. This gives you the option to unlock with digital codes, Aqara NFC cards, the Aqara app on your phone, and voice control with supported voice assistants. . That's in addition to being able to continue using your existing key.
Exclusively for a retrofit lock (where the existing door lock does not need to be replaced), the U200 can work with US style deadbolts. and European mortise locks. Most only work with one or the other. The lock also comes with a rechargeable battery that Aqara says can have a minimum of six months of battery life with eight entries a day. That is amazing. The wireless keypad uses four AAA batteries or can be connected to the doorbell wiring.
Matter's compatibility should mean it can work with any platform that supports the new smart home standard, including Amazon Alexa, Apple Home and Google Home. However, Aqara says the support will be rolled out in stages and did not provide a timeline. The lock will work with the Aqara app and the upcoming Aqara Hub M3 at launch.
The U200 will be one of the first Matter-over-Thread compatible locks to support Home Key and the first in Europe.
Other updates Aqara has promised include support for auto unlock, so the door unlocks when you approach, and Apple Home Key. It says it is awaiting certifications from Apple and plans to push the capability through an OTA update.
When Home Key support arrives, the U200 will be one of the first Matter-over-Thread compatible locks to support it and the first in Europe to use Apple's easy unlocking method that turns your iPhone and Apple Watch into a key .
Currently, there are several smart locks that support Matter, but very few that support Matter over Thread. This mesh wireless protocol supports longer battery life than Wi-Fi and adds Internet connectivity for out-of-home control without the need for a proprietary bridge or built-in Wi-Fi. (You need a Thread edge router instead, like the Aqara Hub M3.)
At this year's CES, U-tec announced a new Matter-over-Thread lock but without Home Key support. Yale has a Thread module for their older Assure SL lock that works with Matter but not Home Key. Nuki has a Subject blocking on thread but only for European locks and, again, without a start key.
Aqara's U100 smart lock is compatible with Matter and Home Key, but works with Zigbee through an Aqara hub instead of Thread. Then there's Level with its home key lock and its teases about Thread support, but so far, no Thread.
It's clear, however, that Apple Home Key is expanding. Several new Home Key locks were announced at CES 2024, including those from U-tec, TP-Link, and Lockly. And now that Home Key works with Matter (Apple added HomeKey support to Matter with iOS 17), I expect to see a lot more. Especially since manufacturers do not need to be HomeKit certified to use HomeKey; They just have to have Matter certification, MFI Certificationand the correct hardware. Easy, right?
Updated February 28 at 6:55 a.m. ET: After publication, Aqara reached out to clarify that the U200 works with the emergency function in EU-style locks, so the cylinder can be unlocked from the outside using a key even when another key is already inserted inside.
