SwitchBot debuts 3D facial-recognition locks

SwitchBot on May 15 introduced two new smart locks that bring 3D facial recognition to residential doors, extending a biometric feature more commonly associated with smartphones into the consumer smart-home market. The products, called the SwitchBot Lock Vision and Lock Vision Pro, connect over Wi-Fi and support Matter, the cross-platform smart-home standard backed by major device makers and platform operators. SwitchBot said the locks work with Apple Home and offer multiple entry methods beyond face unlock, including NFC, app controls and physical keys. The higher-end Pro model adds palm-vein and fingerprint recognition, according to the company’s product page. ### Which products did SwitchBot actually launch? MacRumors reported on May 15 that SwitchBot debuted the Lock Vision and Lock Vision Pro as two Matter-enabled smart locks with facial recognition built in. The site said the devices use Matter-over-WiFi, support HomeKit compatibility through Matter and can be used with NFC in Apple Home setups. (macrumors.com) SwitchBot’s own product page lists the Lock Vision Pro at $229.99 and describes it as a preorder item expected to ship by mid-June. A separate SwitchBot combo page lists the Lock Ultra Vision Combo at $249.99, but that is a bundle built around an earlier lock platform rather than the newly named Lock Vision line. ### How does the biometric unlocking work? (macrumors.com) SwitchBot said the new locks use 3D facial recognition based on structured light. MacRumors, citing SwitchBot, said the system projects more than 20,000 infrared dots to build a 3D facial map and can recognize approved users in under one second. The company’s Lock Vision Pro page describes the biometric package as “3-in-1,” combining 3D face recognition, palm-vein recognition and fingerprint unlocking. (switch-bot.com) SwitchBot says the system includes 3D liveness anti-spoofing and that encrypted biometric data is stored locally on the device rather than uploaded to the cloud. ### What separates the Pro model from the standard version? (macrumors.com) The Pro model adds two extra biometric options. MacRumors said the standard Lock Vision includes facial recognition, while the Lock Vision Pro adds palm-vein and fingerprint access. Palm-vein detection, the report said, is designed to work without touching the lock, including when hands are wet or dirty. (switch-bot.com) SwitchBot’s product listing also says the Pro model offers more than 10 unlock methods, including face, palm vein, fingerprint, keypad, NFC, geofencing, app control, voice commands, widgets and a physical key. The same page lists a 10,000mAh main battery, a CR123A backup battery and a USB-C emergency power option. ### Why does Matter-over-WiFi matter here? (macrumors.com) The Connectivity Standards Alliance says Matter uses existing networking technologies including Wi-Fi, Thread and Ethernet, with Bluetooth Low Energy used for setup. The group says the standard is intended to let devices from multiple brands work natively together across major smart-home platforms. In this case, SwitchBot is putting a biometric front-door device directly onto the same kind of home Wi-Fi networks already used by mainstream smart-home gear. (switch-bot.com) That means buyers are not being asked to adopt a separate proprietary radio system for facial recognition at the door; the locks are being sold as standard smart-home devices that can plug into existing Matter ecosystems. That is an inference from the product positioning and Matter documentation, not a statement SwitchBot made in the cited materials. (csa-iot.org) ### What do price and availability look like? MacRumors said the Lock Vision is priced at $170 and the Lock Vision Pro at $230, with a $40 launch discount available through Amazon and SwitchBot’s website. SwitchBot’s own product page lists the Lock Vision Pro at $229.99 and marks it as a preorder. SwitchBot’s store says Lock Vision Pro preorders are expected to ship by mid-June. (macrumors.com) The company is also selling the Lock Ultra Vision Combo for $249.99 through its website, giving it two biometric lock families on sale at the same time. (switch-bot.com)