SwitchBot announced the SwitchBot Lock Vision and Lock Vision Proa set of smart deadbolt locks that the company says can last 12 months on a single charge and unlock in a second using facial recognition. They can be pre-ordered now in the US for $170 or $230, depending on the model you choose, and will start shipping in June.
SwitchBot now offers a standalone keyboard, Keypad Vision, that offers facial recognition unlocking. Like Lock Vision and Vision Pro, it uses 3D structured light — lots of tiny invisible beams of light shining on your face to accurately read your facial features, similar to Apple’s Face ID feature. This means that a simple picture of you cannot fool him. The company says it’s all built into the device, and facial recognition “turns on in 1 second, even in the dark.” Hopefully it’s more reliable than the Keypad Vision I tested for myself SwitchBot Lock Ultra reviewnever reliably scanned my bespectacled, bearded face. (To his credit, he recognized my partner’s hairless face well.)
It will be nice to have options. The Lock Vision Pro adds a fingerprint reader — which could be solid if it’s done as well as the Keyboard Vision — and palm vein scanning, a technology I’ve grown to love in my time with the tech. TCL D2 Pro. Palm vein scanning isn’t as cool as Aliro and ultra-broadband-based unlocking. Read Smart Lock U400but until I come across a facial recognition smart lock that can reliably handle my large face, I’ll consider it the next best thing.
In addition to these three biometric options, both Lock Visions can be opened with a digital password, NFC scan, smartphone apps (SwitchBot and smart home apps like Apple Home or Google Home), or a physical key, while the Lock Vision Pro can also work with GPS geofencing. Each of the locks also has a 10,000mAh USB-C rechargeable main battery and a CR123A backup that the company says is good for 500 emergency unlocks and can operate down to -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius). They’re compatible with Matter over Wi-Fi, and won’t require a SwitchBot hub to connect to your smart home ecosystem of choice.
All of this sounds encouraging, but take all of these features with an appropriate grain of salt. SwitchBot has a lot of irons, offering everything from one of their best products, the push-button SwitchBot Bot, to a deeply flawed video doorbell. The company isn’t always successful, so it’s a good idea to wait for reviews before jumping in, even if the $230 price tag at most is pretty tempting compared to more expensive options. Euphy or Agara.
