Amazon announced its first smart lock that eliminates the need for a physical backup key should its rechargeable battery die while you’re away from home. While other smart locks lean on hidden USB ports or metal contacts for connecting a 9-volt battery to replenish a dead battery, the new Ring Smart Lock incorporates a more convenient charger right into its thumb-turn dial. Amazon doesn’t specify how many turns are needed but claims just “a few times” can generate enough power to unlock the door so you can gain access to your home and fully recharge the lock’s battery.
Ring’s first smart lock can be charged by turning a dial when the battery unexpectedly dies
The new Ring Smart Lock eliminates the need for physical backup keys with a clever way to keep it powered.
The new Ring Smart Lock eliminates the need for physical backup keys with a clever way to keep it powered.
The Ring Smart Lock is expected to be available in the US sometime in early 2027 (pending FCC approval) and will be offered in black, silver, and brass finishes for $249. Unlocking options include a fingerprint reader and a backlit touchscreen keypad with the option to register multiple users and schedule when they have access to your home. This includes setting up temporary access codes that automatically expire after a set amount of time. The Ring Smart Lock can also be opened, locked, and monitored using the Ring mobile app or controlled using voice commands through Alexa-compatible devices like Echo smart speakers.
Installation doesn’t require any wiring since the Smart Lock uses Ring’s replaceable Quick Release Ultra Battery Pack, and instead of relying on your home’s Wi-Fi, the lock wirelessly connects to other devices using Amazon’s low-power, low-bandwidth, long-range Sidewalk network. Assuming you live somewhere with adequate Sidewalk coverage, you won’t have to worry about Wi-Fi outages preventing you from granting remote access or getting alerts about who’s just entered your home.
The Ring Smart Lock doesn’t include a camera, so you’ll need to pair it with a smart doorbell to see who’s accessing your home or one of five new Ring security cameras expanding Amazon’s collection of “Retinal Vision 4K” devices that first debuted a year ago. Starting today, you can preorder the new $149.99 Outdoor Cam 4K Plus that’s available in battery, wired, solar, and PoE versions, the $199.99 Spotlight Cam 4K Plus featuring a 550-lumen deterrent light, and the $219.99 Floodlight Cam 4K Plus that can illuminate large spaces while offering 24/7 recording with smart subject detection. But you won’t have to wait for the first indoor Ring camera with Retinal 4K. The $99.99 Indoor Cam 4K is available for purchase today and features a 115-degree field of view with a shutter that physically blocks the camera when privacy is needed.
Alongside all the new 4K options, Amazon is also introducing a new entry-level 2K indoor camera that’s available starting today for $69.99. The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam 2K uses “computer vision–based motion detection” to track subjects like pets moving around a room. The camera can rotate a full 360 degrees while tilting 175 degrees to keep subjects in frame, and like Ring’s new 4K indoor camera, the 2K version incorporates a physical privacy shutter that disables both the camera and its microphone when it’s closed.
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