This lock is about to unlock a major iOS 18 UWB feature lance.ulanoff@futurenet.com (Lance Ulanoff) | usagoldmines.com

• Ultraloq Bolt Mission UWB + NFC will use ultra-wideband
• It will know not just when you’re heading home but exactly where you are
• iOS 18 is required

You might not always know if you’re coming or going, but there’s a new smart home doorlock that will.

Ultraloq’s Bolt Mission UWB + NFC is finally taking advantage of an iOS 18 feature Apple unveiled months ago at its WWDC 2024 conference and part of the vast iOS 18 update for your best iPhones.

Unveiled here at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, the new deadbolt is the first smart home lock (although more are sure to show up here, so keep watching our CES News feed for more updates) to enable UWB awareness. There have been countless smart home locks that work with Near Field Communication (NFC) to let users unlock with their smartphones, but that’s purely proximity-based technology. UWB is far more sophisticated and has a longer range. You may be more familiar with it if you’ve recently used your iPhone to locate your lost AirPods.

In the case of the $399 Ultraloq’s Bolt Mission UWB + NFC, the lock can detect the phone in your pocket or bag from a distance (line of sight is up to 150 meters) and also knows if you’re heading to the door or away from it and if you’re inside or outside the house. All of that works to ensure that the door only unlocks when you’re approaching it from the outside.

Having used NFC and even Apple Home, which never knows if I’m coming or going and, with the former, will only work if I am literally touching my iPhone to my Lockly smart lock, this could be quite an upgrade.

Looks-wise, the lock might be an acquired taste. It has no screen for number entry or a fingerprint reader. Instead, it has a circle of physical buttons for your entry key. Some may like that because the shape is more traditional deadbolt-style. Naturally, there’s also a physical key slot. While the lock is battery-powered, Ultraloq claims it can run up to a year on a charge.

Granted, this new lock will still support NFC entry, so if you have the iOS 18-supporting iPhone in your hand, you can tap the deadbolt to open it. Ultraloq says the Bolt Mission UWB + NFC comes with Matter support for integrating Apple Home, Alexa, and Google Home homes. It also supports Samsung SmartThings and, thankfully, does not need a hub to connect to your home’s WiFi network.

While Ultraloq didn’t provide an exact ship date, they said the Bolt Mission UWB + NFC should ship sometime in Q1 of this year. It should also be available in Canada, Mexico, and Australia, though Ultraloq did not provide international pricing.

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