NewImage
Lockitron has announced a new hardware product that attaches to most deadbolt locks and allows the door to be locked and unlocked via an app. It also takes advantage of Bluetooth 4.0 to unlock the door when a registered iPhone 4S or 5 approaches the door.

Lockitron previously had a lock that was a full replacement for the entire lock and handle making it nearly impossible to use for customers who rent. The new device attaches to a deadbolt without any permanent changes, allowing renters to use it. The company is positioning the device for tech-savvy consumers, as well as those looking to open the door for guests or AirBnB renters.

Users can unlock their doors via the Lockitron app, via an SMS message, or by using Bluetooth 4.0 to unlock it wirelessly.


The company is currently taking preorders for the $149 lock, though the company won't take payment until the device is ready. Lockitron expects the first 1,000 units will be ready for shipment in March of 2013.

Top Rated Comments

bigjobby Avatar
172 months ago
They get your phone, use the slide-up-to-camera to bypass your lock code, see you have the Lockitron app, find your name and address in Contacts, then ask Siri for directions to your home. Done.

One slight flaw to this theory... Maps.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
havenhamilton Avatar
172 months ago
So nice, until you lose your phone. Then just imagine if someone steals it.

what are the odds that someone steals your phone, figures out you use this product, finds out where you live and breaks in before you can get home and take it off?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ytk Avatar
172 months ago
So you just walk up to the door with your iPhone, and it uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect and immediately unlock the door? How does it know you're approaching from the outside rather than the inside?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UnseenLlama Avatar
172 months ago
what are the odds that someone steals your phone, figures out you use this product, finds out where you live and breaks in before you can get home and take it off?

That's why you should always passlock your iPhone.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad Mac Maniac Avatar
172 months ago
don't forget your phone!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tinmania Avatar
172 months ago
They get your phone, use the slide-up-to-camera to bypass your lock code, see you have the Lockitron app, find your name and address in Contacts, then ask Siri for directions to your home. Done.


Anyway, this sort of thing is nothing new. Any home automation system worth its salt has remote locks. The notification on door-knock is new (at least to me), but who ever knocks on doors anymore? You're better off with a smart doorbell.

Of course, they all have the same issue of losing your remote device, whatever it is, and it's not like somebody needs to go through your front door to get into your house. If you're going to go the home automation route, why not set up some motion sensors inside the house watching all your windows and doors, and tell the house when you come and go? Heck, you don't even have to bother locking your doors, and you'll know the minute somebody's in your house when you're away. Door locks are just a social contract. If somebody wants in, they don't need to steal your key, physical or digital.

Your first premise is false: that simply is untrue and will not work. You must enter the passcode to get to the home screen.

HOWER, they can simply tell Siri to "take me home" from the lock screen and Siri will do it. If "home" has not been learned they can ask Siri "who am I" and that will reveal the owner's name and address. Then they can ask Siri to take them there.

Finally, they can say "launch lockitron" to see if the app is installed. If Siri doesn't say "it doesn't look like you have an app named lockitron installed" but instead asks for passcode they will know it is installed. They can't run it but they now know you probably have that lock.

Odds of the person who found/stole your iPhone knowing all that, and also being a criminal who will rob someone's home? I'd say 1 in a billion.



Mike
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
ipad blue prime day

iPad 12 Rumored to Get iPhone 17's A19 Chip, Breaking Apple Tradition

Wednesday December 10, 2025 12:22 pm PST by
The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 iPad lineup. Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the iPad 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...