Apple's recent developer conference, WWDC 24, saw the announcement of a ton of smart home updates, but perhaps most exciting for the future of home automation in general was the announcement of a new hands-free unlocking feature for the Apple Home Key smart lock.
The new feature will allow users to use their compatible iPhone or Apple Watch to unlock their door without having to hold either device close to the lock.
But while contactless unlocking isn't new, the way Apple is going about achieving it is.
While many hands-free unlock features use Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, or GPS to communicate with smart locks, Apple's new feature leverages Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology for communication between the phone/watch and the target lock. UWB as a technology isn't all that new, but its incorporation into smart locks is certainly new.
UWB is a short-range wireless communication protocol that operates at extremely high frequencies to provide secure, accurate real-time location data without the need for line of sight, which is the main reason why the technology is widely used in car digital keys.
There are also some applications in the more high-end technology sector, such as Sonus faber using the technology for lossless music streaming.
Apple points out that using UWB as the hands-free unlocking method for its Apple Home Key smart locks provides a much more consistent experience while maintaining the level of simplicity most users expect when choosing a contactless unlock option.
The problem, however, is that most existing smart locks won't be compatible with this new feature, as they don't have the necessary UWB hardware. In fact, the first Apple locks with this feature aren't expected to hit the market until Q4 2024.
According to a Verge article, this isn't just an Apple issue: many major smart lock manufacturers, including Aqara, Yale, August, and Level, don't have the hardware to receive UWB signals in their current products.
However, companies are reportedly currently exploring ways to implement UWB technology into their own smart locks, which could be a sign of things to come in the smart home space.
Currently, much bespoke automation relies on motion detection and other inconsistent means to execute proximity-based sequences, so UWB can provide more accurate location data, allowing for cleaner, more seamless routines.
Already, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) is working on a new standard called Aliro, which aims to create a more standardized definition and implementation of UWB technology.
And unlike Apple's tap-to-unlock Home Key feature, UWB hands-free unlock doesn't require specific HomeKit certification — if your lock is Matter certified and has the necessary hardware, it will work with Apple Home hands-free unlock, meaning we may see the feature added to more products as hardware updates arrive.
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