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Schlage hands Siri the keys to the smart home

The HomeKit-compliant Schlage Sense Bluetooth Deadbolt will let you talk your way inside.

Ry Crist Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Expertise Smart home technology and wireless connectivity Credentials
  • 10 years product testing experience with the CNET Home team
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Ry Crist
2 min read

LAS VEGAS -- You can count Schlage among the bumper crop of smart-home brands making announcements involving Apple's HomeKit standard at CES 2015. The product: Schlage Sense, a newly announced Bluetooth deadbolt due out this summer.

Schlage Sense looks more or less like the existing Schlage lock lineup, with a sturdy, rectangular design and a touchscreen keypad for coded entry above the keyed cylinder. The Bluetooth is what's new here, allowing users to control the lock remotely using their Android or iOS device. You'll also be able to manage codes (the deadbolt can store dozens of them) and assign out an unlimited number of eKeys at no charge.

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iOS users get a little something extra with that HomeKit compatibility, though, and that something extra will come largely by way of Siri, who'll lock and unlock the door at your command. Additional integration with other HomeKit-compliant smart home gadgets from brands such as Chamberlain and iDevices could also be possible, though everyone involved is staying tight-lipped for now.

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As a Bluetooth-controlled smart lock, the Schlage Sense won't offer a great deal of range for those direct app interactions. You won't, for instance, be able to lock your door from work using the app, because you'll be out of Bluetooth range.

There's good news here, though. Schlage tells me that they plan on releasing a separate bridge accessory -- keep it inside the home, and it'll translate the deadbolt's Bluetooth signal into Wi-Fi, and let you interact with it no matter where you are. That bridge will be sold both on its own and bundled with the deadbolt upfront, and it won't come with service fees, like the recently announced Kevo Plus , a similar gateway accessory for Kwikset's touch-to-enter smart lock .

Pricing hasn't been announced for Schlage Sense just yet, but Schlage tells me it'll land in the same ballpark as other smart locks currently on the market -- those retail for anywhere from $200 to $300 in the US.