CES is an excellent time to see the home tech trends for the coming year, and one home security trend in particular stood out to us -- a new type of device that combines video doorbells and smart locks.Â
Companies like Lockly and TCL are putting screens on their locks to transform them into displays that can also recognize people and let users talk through their deadbolts. It's a way for homeowners to solve visibility problems and combine multiple devices into one, and it could be the next evolution of home security. Here's what we found out.Â
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First up is Lockly's higher-end Vision Prestige from its Duet Series smart locks. The 4-inch smart screen on the inside components of the Vision Prestige lets you see images captured by the 2K video camera on the outside. You can also activate an intercom to talk with outsiders. Like a video doorbell, it comes with motion sensing and even facial recognition.
Lockly's Prestige lock ditches the need for smart displays or peepholes with its own video screen.
Lockly takes this screen reliance a step further with a touchscreen keypad on the outside, along with a fingerprint reader and traditional key lock for access alternatives. It works natively with Apple Watch, Siri and Apple Home Keys (plus Google and Alexa), so Apple users should be well prepared.
However, a smart lock packed with this much tech has its (high) price. Lockly plans to launch the Vision Prestige in the fourth quarter of 2025 to the tune of $500, a steep price for buyers who are looking for high-end models.
But Lockly isn't the only company with an eye on video smart locks. TCL has also whipped up its own model, the TCL Smart Lock D1 Ultra, which also has an 3.5-inch indoor video screen to show what the 2K resolution camera is picking up.
The D1 Ultra includes fingerprint, app and keypad options, plus motion sensing, two-way audio and alerts. It doesn't have any Apple support but does work with Alexa and Google Assistant and comes with a chime add-on you can place anywhere. Unlike the Lockly model, which supports internal video storage, the TCL lock requires a cloud subscription to store video.
Because TCL's D1 Ultra is smaller and doesn't have quite as many features as Lockly's Vision Prestige, we don't expect it to cost as much, but currently, the price is unknown. We'll learn more soon, as TCL is aiming to release it in the first quarter of 2025.
This isn't the first time we've seen video combined with smart lock -- Eufy came out with a camera lock last year, but it is the first time we've seen built-in video displays to provide info. With the growing popularity of video doorbells as a way to stop porch pirates and recognize friends, it's not surprising some companies are trying to adopt their features in other devices.
These smart locks have the potential to become the ultimate all-in-one home security device -- as long as they work well. Either way, it's an ambitious smart lock transformation so we're interested to see if other lock brands start including video displays too. If your door doesn't have windows or a keyhole it could be a nifty replacement, especially if you'd rather skip a more complex setup combining smart displays and video doorbells.
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