One of the Wallet features introduced in iOS 15 last year was support for home keys, which lets users add digital keys for compatible HomeKit door locks to the Wallet app on their iPhone and Apple Watch. Few third-party smart home locks support home key yet, but today, Apple retail stores are stocking popular smart home accessory maker Level's first home key compatible smart lock, the Level Lock+.

Available to begin with in a satin nickel color, with a matte black model arriving soon, the Lock+ system is an updated version of its existing HomeKit-compatible Level Lock - Touch Edition which includes support for key cards.

With the addition of home key support, Lock+ users can take advantage of their Apple device's NFC connectivity to quickly unlock their home by simply bringing their device close to the lock. After being added as an accessory in the Home app, the Lock+ can function in Express Mode, which allows you to unlock the door just by holding your iPhone or Apple Watch near the lock, or alternatively it can be set up to require Face ID or your passcode after holding your device near the lock.

The new Lock+ with home key support comes with a strike plate, CR2 battery, six screws, two keys, two key cards, and a long bolt cap. Priced at $329.95, Level Lock+ is only available in Apple retail stores for now, but a listing on Apple's online store is expected to arrive on October 21, when the matte black edition will also be available to order.


Article Link: Level Lock+ Smart Lock With Home Key Support Launches in Apple Retail Stores

A horseless carriage? No one's ever going to want that.

You'll have to break into my house the old fashioned way I'm afraid...

I like the basic design, but that's expensive for a door lock.

Does anyone have experience with this company and their products? I used Lockitron way back in the day and I would say our results were mixed at best. I was hoping to pick up the Schlage lock since the new one is HomeKit/Key compatible but stock has been an issue for a while. It is also much larger than this one and utilizes a keypad on the outside which I don't need. I will likely just wait for the Schlage unless there are a lot of good experiences with this company?

You know, I'd have considered this for my parents as a gift...then I saw the $329.95 tag in the second photo.

A Schlage deadbolt is like $30.

Are enough people really gonna spend $330 on a door lock in this economy to make stocking this worth it?

Does not look compatible to German doors.

$329.95??? Man, HomeKit must have margin to the moon. Here's the old-fashioned deadbolt with 4.5 stars from over 6K ratings on Amazon... I know it's a monumental nuisance to carry a key and use it- how did all the generations before ours get by without HomeKit locks???- but one could buy 22 of this type or only 1 of the other.

I like convenience as much as the next guy... and I'm not exactly cheap (I paid WAYYYYYYYY up for a loaded Mac Studio Ultra)... but this seems more like robbery for anyone willing to be robbed.

The irony is that probably when you buy enough of those for the various doors in a typical home and you pay up for the typical mix of up-to-date Apple goodies, there's probably little cash (or non-vital organs) left over for the bandits to steal.

GMShadow said:

You know, I'd have considered this for my parents as a gift...then I saw the $329.95 tag in the second photo.

A Schlage deadbolt is like $30.

Are enough people really gonna spend $330 on a door lock in this economy to make stocking this worth it?

It's truly for people with a good amount of surplus income - to the point they just buy what they want, when they want.

But I had the same reaction as you as I rarely carry keys anymore (beyond a car fob which are too big to be on a ring) - this is really cool and would fit my life to an extent, then I saw the price and was like: Oh, don't want one that bad. Still pretty cool.

applejacksandmilk said:

I love how we have an energy crisis and a climate crisis and with inflation and people’s money not going as far and people having to spend more for heating and gas and food that we are just converting our entire lives to tech and things that require energy and being connected and also expensive to replace when a battery dies or it becomes obsolete or a company decides to stop supporting something. We’ve gone from convenience to burden. We are replacing things that used to last 30 years with things they last 5. Im tired of it.

I like the perspective. I do think that there is a slight bit more to it than you are accounting for. Many technology advancements can last a lot longer than 5 years, but people choose to replace them faster. Maybe that is all part of the same issue you are talking about, but just because we are taking and modernizing something doesn't inherently make it last a fewer amount of years. Maybe more apt would be that the rigors of hard built products that are focused on longevity have felt the push of quick turn technological advancement and so sometimes a sacrifice in durability is made for the sake of getting a new product out with the latest tech. But again, that is more a "race to the bottom" participation instead of something that is the fault of technology. Door locks, for example, have been receiving modern treatment for a while. A friend of mine has a deadbolt on his house that has a keypad and it is still going strong 18 years later. Does it have IoT? No, but it did have the latest tech of the time built into it. So again, I agree that we replace things quicker than we used to in some cases, but that isn't really the technology or products fault.

This is clearly a lifestyle device - if you really need the features (such as guest sharing? maybe?), or you just like technology (and don't mind the configuration and maintenance...for every iOS and watchOS device...including upgrades), then you'll be drawn to this.

At the end of the day, there are just too many things that can go wrong with smart devices, so you really need to consider risk/reward. My experience with HomeKit smart switches was enough for me to quit early and just spend the money elsewhere.

I'd love to get rid of my keys but yeah, this is expense. Plus I have the main door and a storm door so that will be an extra expensive investment to have to replace in a few years time. My current locks are going on 20+ years now without a single issue.

That's the style and compatibility that I've been waiting for, but ouch! on the price.

Sasparilla said:

It's truly for people with a good amount of surplus income - to the point they just buy what they want, when they want.

But I had the same reaction as you as I rarely carry keys anymore (beyond a car fob which are too big to be on a ring) - this is really cool and would fit my life to an extent, then I saw the price and was like: Oh, don't want one that bad. Still pretty cool.

I was in the same boat until I finally got rid of my car key. Now my house key is the only one left so at this point I am going to spend the money so I don't have to carry around keys anymore I won't be happy about plopping down the cash, but honestly if I was buying a car and I could add a feature to it for $350 (say CarPlay), would I be as concerned? Me personally I wouldn't. And since this thing is going to last at least as long as a car, I am going to do it. Again, not like it!....but still do it.

applejacksandmilk said:

I love how we have an energy crisis and a climate crisis and with inflation and people’s money not going as far and people having to spend more for heating and gas and food that we are just converting our entire lives to tech and things that require energy and being connected and also expensive to replace when a battery dies or it becomes obsolete or a company decides to stop supporting something. We’ve gone from convenience to burden. We are replacing things that used to last 30 years with things they last 5. Im tired of it.

The Level Lock runs on one AA battery that gets replaced like once a year. Relax.

applejacksandmilk said:

I love how we have an energy crisis and a climate crisis and with inflation and people’s money not going as far and people having to spend more for heating and gas and food that we are just converting our entire lives to tech and things that require energy and being connected and also expensive to replace when a battery dies or it becomes obsolete or a company decides to stop supporting something. We’ve gone from convenience to burden. We are replacing things that used to last 30 years with things they last 5. Im tired of it.

Valid points, but the world is improved by such progress in ways that are indirectly associated with the end-user products that we see.

Our current digital devices are absolutely amazing and capable, and that only came about through such research and development. If we didn't aim to create, we'd still be living with candles and smokey fireplaces.

Appreciate humanity's desire to invent. Focus on that aspect.

Is mark gurman taking credit for this?

“As expected the iPhone 15 is released at apple stores in 2023”.

Am I reading too much into his arrogance?

Cory Bauer said:

The Level Lock runs on one AA battery that gets replaced like once a year. Relax.

So the CR2 batteries are for something else?

Born Again said:

Is mark gurman taking credit for this?

“As expected the iPhone 15 is released at apple stores in 2023”.

Am I reading too much into his arrogance?

So funny. That's what I took away from this, too.