NewImage
Lockitron has announced a new hardware product that attaches to most deadbolt locks and allows the door to be locked and unlocked via an app. It also takes advantage of Bluetooth 4.0 to unlock the door when a registered iPhone 4S or 5 approaches the door.

Lockitron previously had a lock that was a full replacement for the entire lock and handle making it nearly impossible to use for customers who rent. The new device attaches to a deadbolt without any permanent changes, allowing renters to use it. The company is positioning the device for tech-savvy consumers, as well as those looking to open the door for guests or AirBnB renters.

Users can unlock their doors via the Lockitron app, via an SMS message, or by using Bluetooth 4.0 to unlock it wirelessly.


The company is currently taking preorders for the $149 lock, though the company won't take payment until the device is ready. Lockitron expects the first 1,000 units will be ready for shipment in March of 2013.

Top Rated Comments

175 months ago
They get your phone, use the slide-up-to-camera to bypass your lock code, see you have the Lockitron app, find your name and address in Contacts, then ask Siri for directions to your home. Done.

One slight flaw to this theory... Maps.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
175 months ago
So nice, until you lose your phone. Then just imagine if someone steals it.

what are the odds that someone steals your phone, figures out you use this product, finds out where you live and breaks in before you can get home and take it off?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
175 months ago
So you just walk up to the door with your iPhone, and it uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect and immediately unlock the door? How does it know you're approaching from the outside rather than the inside?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UnseenLlama Avatar
175 months ago
what are the odds that someone steals your phone, figures out you use this product, finds out where you live and breaks in before you can get home and take it off?

That's why you should always passlock your iPhone.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad Mac Maniac Avatar
175 months ago
don't forget your phone!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tinmania Avatar
175 months ago
They get your phone, use the slide-up-to-camera to bypass your lock code, see you have the Lockitron app, find your name and address in Contacts, then ask Siri for directions to your home. Done.


Anyway, this sort of thing is nothing new. Any home automation system worth its salt has remote locks. The notification on door-knock is new (at least to me), but who ever knocks on doors anymore? You're better off with a smart doorbell.

Of course, they all have the same issue of losing your remote device, whatever it is, and it's not like somebody needs to go through your front door to get into your house. If you're going to go the home automation route, why not set up some motion sensors inside the house watching all your windows and doors, and tell the house when you come and go? Heck, you don't even have to bother locking your doors, and you'll know the minute somebody's in your house when you're away. Door locks are just a social contract. If somebody wants in, they don't need to steal your key, physical or digital.

Your first premise is false: that simply is untrue and will not work. You must enter the passcode to get to the home screen.

HOWER, they can simply tell Siri to "take me home" from the lock screen and Siri will do it. If "home" has not been learned they can ask Siri "who am I" and that will reveal the owner's name and address. Then they can ask Siri to take them there.

Finally, they can say "launch lockitron" to see if the app is installed. If Siri doesn't say "it doesn't look like you have an app named lockitron installed" but instead asks for passcode they will know it is installed. They can't run it but they now know you probably have that lock.

Odds of the person who found/stole your iPhone knowing all that, and also being a criminal who will rob someone's home? I'd say 1 in a billion.



Mike
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

M3 iPad Air

Apple's Next Two Products Are Coming Soon

Thursday February 12, 2026 11:17 am PST by
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Apple Sales Coach App

Apple Launching New 'Sales Coach' App

Friday February 13, 2026 2:01 pm PST by
Apple plans to launch a rebranded "Sales Coach" app on the iPhone and iPad later this month, according to a source familiar with the matter. "Sales Coach" will arrive as an update to Apple's existing "SEED" app, and it will continue to provide sales tips and training resources to Apple Store and Apple Authorized Reseller employees around the world. For example, there are articles and videos...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock

Five iPhone 18 Pro Features Revealed in New Report

Friday February 13, 2026 8:43 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still seven months away, an analyst has revealed five new features the devices will allegedly have. Rumored color options for the iPhone 18 Pro models In a research note with investment firm GF Securities on Thursday, analyst Jeff Pu outlined the following upgrades for the iPhone 18 Pro models: Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored...
macbook air prime day 2025

M5 MacBook Air: Release Date, Features, and Performance Predictions

Wednesday February 11, 2026 3:36 am PST by
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor. Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...