Apple’s U1 ultra-wideband chip enables the new Home Key feature coming to Apple Home with iOS 18, but there are no compatible smart locks available yet.
Last week, Apple announced it’s bringing hands-free unlocking for smart locks to Apple Home when iOS 18 arrives this fall. The new capability leverages the U1 ultra wideband chip in many iPhones and Apple Watches to allow a smart lock to open automatically as you approach the front door — no tapping required. But hands-free unlocking isn’t coming to your existing Home Key smart lock because no current locks have the hardware to support it.
With a UWB-capable smart lock, your phone/watch can communicate with it directly with no need to jump through several hoops to verify your location before unlocking your door. In theory, this should provide a more reliable, secure, and faster auto-unlock experience. UWB is a short-range, wireless communication protocol that operates at very high frequencies. It can provide secure, precise, real-time location data without needing line of sight — making it ideal for this type of use case.
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