Just as HomeKit led to the development of the broader smart home standard Matter, so Apple’s Home Key is spurring the adoption of a new industry standard for smart locks and digital keys: Aliro.
The new standard is being championed by Apple, Google, and Samsung – along with a number of smart lock companies …
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Security veteran Yale has launched two new smart locks today, the Assure Lock 2 Touch and Assure Lock 2 Plus. These latest smart locks with sharp designs bring features like fingerprint scanning, Apple home key support, and more alongside HomeKit compatibility.
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Half a year after its debut, the Level Lock+ continues to stand out amongst the competition for its unique, minimalistic design, and ease of installation. Level Home’s smart lock is also one of just a handful of smart locks that support Apple Home Key – a feature introduced with iOS 15 that allows for NFC control via an Apple Watch or iPhone.
Is this Level Lock+ the best smart lock for users knee-deep in the Apple ecosystem? Watch my hands-on video review for the details.
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Earlier this week, we shared a statement from smart home accessory maker Level Home about supporting Apple Home Key technology in its products. After saying that this was “certainly not off the table,” the company launched a new smart lock named “Level Lock+” that does work with Apple Home Key.
Update: The Level Lock+ with Home Key is now available for sale in Apple’s online store for $329.25. You can read the original article below.
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With iOS 15, Apple introduced Home Key, which lets smart lock manufacturers integrate these products into the Wallet app so users can open doors just by tapping their iPhone against the lock. However, Level Home – a popular smart home accessories seller – said it has no plans to integrate its locks with Apple Home Key.
Article updated with a statement from Level Home.
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After my Schlage Encode Plus review, I concluded that it was the most full-featured smart lock that I’d tried thus far. With standard HomeKit support in tow, in addition to new NFC-powered Apple home key support, it’s easy for me to recommend the Encode Plus as the best smart lock for Apple users.
The only lingering question from my hands-on review was release timing. Up until now, Schlage would only note that its flagship smart lock was arriving this spring, but we now know the exact date of its release and availability. The Encode Plus is available to purchase starting today at homedepot.com for $299.99.
Update: The Schlage Encode Plus is back in stock at Home Depot in matte black and satin nickel in its Century styling. The price has also been adjusted to $319.99.
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As first announced at WWDC 2021, iOS 15 evolves Apple Wallet to store keys for hotels, homes, and even cars. The Schlage Encode Plus is the first such consumer lock solution to take advantage of the NFC-powered Apple home key support. Schlage’s smart lock is finally widely available at Home Depot in its modern Century style in matte black and satin nickel.
As you’ll see in my hands-on video, home key is a great way to access your home with your iPhone or Apple Watch via just a tap. Let’s take a closer look at what the Schlage Encode Plus and Apple’s home key technology have to offer!
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