Smart locks are getting smarter, incorporating more advanced technologies that give you more secure ways to unlock your door. The latest company to do so is SwitchBot, with its new $170 Lock Vision and $230 Lock Vision Pro.
The new smart lock includes 3D structured-light facial recognition technology, which the company says enables faster, more convenient unlocking. The Vision Series locks use 20,000 infrared points to create 3D facial maps that SwitchBot says can achieve millimeter-level recognition. The system can unlock a door in a second while resisting spoofing that uses photos or videos. SwitchBot says the system also works when people are wearing glasses, hats, wigs, or makeup.
SwitchBot also says this is the world’s first smart lock to incorporate face recognition unlocking, though we’ve seen similar technology on the Lockly Visage Zeno.
“Smart locks with face ID have become fairly common by now, actually,” said Tyler Lacoma, CNET’s home security and smart home editor, noting that while the face recognition isn’t new, the specific 3D structured-light technology behind it could be. A representative from SwitchBot didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Lock Vision Pro also comes with several unlocking methods beyond 3D face recognition. It offers palm vein recognition (an additional and newer feature on modern smart locks) and semiconductor fingerprint unlocking. Palm vein scanning lets you unlock doors without touching the device. There’s also app control, NFC, passcodes, voice assistants, smartwatch control, auto-unlocking with geofencing, and physical keys as further options.
The lock itself has a 10,000-mAh rechargeable battery that should last a year on a single charge with typical use. It also has a CR123A backup battery that should provide 500 emergency unlocks. If both options are down, people can power the smart lock through an external USB-C port, though this only provides enough power to unlock the door and won’t charge the lock itself.
The whole lock is rated IP56 for water and dust resistance and features tamper alerts, protection against forced unlocking, automatic lockout after failed attempts, and other security features. The company says all biometric data is kept locally, encrypted with AES-128. It also supports Matter over Wi-Fi, allowing users to connect directly to smart home ecosystems without a Matter-enabled hub.
