The NEW Aqara U50 Smart Lock is Ridiculous (For One BIG Reason)

[@HughD]

Thanks, Brian. I'm glad Aqara is offering a less expensive alternative, but can say that for me, the U100 is perfect. We've used all of the methods of unlocking and the fingerprint is the easiest and quickest way for family members to unlock the door. I can see if you're way up north, like you are, that your fingers are sometimes inside of gloves, but way down here in South Carolina that almost never happens. Anyway, Aqara makes a quality lock and the best of the three I've tried. Thanks for a good review.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Thanks for being the best Hugh!

[@Drogonnis]

I saw in another review that unlike the U100, the U50 has a more common cylinder type that can be easily rekeyed by most locksmiths. Could you please confirm if this is the case? That was really the only thing holding me back from getting the U100, my condo management needs to be able to rekey the lock to fit their master key.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I don't think that's the case, but I have asked Aqara directly for clarification on case I missed something. They look the same to me and have the same level of bmha grade 3 and 5 pin lock

[@Drogonnis]

@@AutomateYourLife Thank you for the prompt response and for reaching out to Aqara! Looking forward to hearing back, fingers crossed! :)

[@Drogonnis]

@@AutomateYourLife Quick follow up - apparently the cylinder and key on the U50 is the standard Schlage SC-1, which is what makes it easy to rekey. A review of this lock by ModernDayTech includes a short tutorial/demonstration on how to rekey it so it certainly seems possible! :D

[@AutomateYourLife]

Great find! Good ole @ModernDayTech!

[@redman2751]

After locking myself out of my house last week and then our 2nd house right after I finally got ticked off and ordered 2 of these locks. Mainly due to the Apple home kit integration since both houses have my own Apple TVs that function as hubs. I don’t have any smart stuff other then a couple lights mainly to automate random light ones to simulate someone being home when we are gone. The install was easy to install for me. I setup Apple home keys on mine and the GFs phone so we can just place the phone up to the lock to unlock. This is super handy. I can also use my watch to unlock it which is nice. The only issue I had was setting up the GF on my home kit app.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I don't wanna say anything too harsh, but maybe Home Kit is trying to tell you something? 😂🤣

[@redman2751]

@@AutomateYourLifelol maybe.

[@IEA_455]

How does it work with the watch do I need to click any buttons or can I just tap ?

[@chicagomike2111]

Ok, so you said your new channel mantra will be totally honest. I have seen some poor reviews on the U100 lock. Bad battery life, dropped connections..etc. You stated this U50 is the same except for fingerprint sensor and color. I really like the fingerprint sensor my wife hates it. Are the internals the same with both Aqara locks. If the U100 has upgraded software I would rather buy that. But I am willing to ditch the fingerprint reader if the U50 is not the same internals, software..etc

[@AutomateYourLife]

When people had issues with the u100, I think in most cases it was an early flaw. I didn't experience it with the u100 although I did end up with one of those issues for a little while and then a firmware update cleared things. So I'm being completely honest about my experience and I haven't seen any major differences to a design that worked for 99% of people really well. I think internally it's the same and if you are having problems with the u100 either look at where your Hub is and whether there's interference with that or have a look at support with Aqara. You shouldn't have major battery issues with this lock and I had it last the 6 months to 8 months that they suggest with pretty regular use because I was constantly doing testing. That's obviously not on the front of my home so I'm not opening it everyday.

[@AutomateYourLife]

And just because it's important to me, my mantra has always been honesty. Paid for review or not. We don't pull any punches, ever.

[@chicagomike2111]

@AutomateYourLife Thank you for the honesty. I currently have the UBolt Pro.. it worked great for about 8 months but has lately been losing connection. It never had an extremely reliable fingerprint reader. Like I say, I really want the fingerprint reader.. My wife must remover her prints because it's never worked right for her..lol. I will place my order today for the U100. I do have the new aqara M3 hub and a few camera hubs. Their stuff has worked very well for me. I am an android user, so the apple stuff never matters to me.. Ha..matter

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@chicagomike2111 😂 ohhh Matter Honestly man, if it goes wrong make them fix it up for ya. But it's been great

[@chicagomike2111]

@AutomateYourLife I know that is why I watch. Was 8n no way, shape, or form insinuating that you were not honest. Just mentioned it because I think it's good for others who may not have seen your video on the different direction you are going with the channel.

[@MrMuddyhands]

Is it waterproof to use on a shed. If not are there any that you wiuld recommend

[@AutomateYourLife]

Well, it's got an IP rating (somewhere in the video...can't remember if it's IP 65 or 66). So it has some ability to be used there, but it's going to depend where you live and how bad the weather could get. That's a good IP rating, but you don't want it sitting in water so to speak.

[@nagyba]

Can I use it with Home Assistant with full functionality?

[@sendo427]

I think I might get this lock because I have the August Smart Lock and it works great but it constantly disconnects and connects from my Wi-Fi and it's just annoying.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I've heard a number of people describe issues with that August Smart Lock so I get why people would want to look at something else

[@malharshah8380]

can the lock open using NFC from google phone or Google watch?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Nope

[@hofii2]

The point about LPL is well taken. He's an absolute master at locks, but the choice isn't between perfect and this item. It's between what is existing or the other options and this item.

[@AutomateYourLife]

😃

[@NinaNng]

Hey,Brian,thanks for the recommendation.

[@AutomateYourLife]

You bet! Thank you!

[@magnus33john]

I get some not wanting there finger print stored so this lock makes sense. Could the lock picking layer get past this of course but anyone with those skills is not likely to be breaking into your house but much more lucrative targets. Its meant to deter the average crooks and does a fine job of that. As for the rating it well get it unless there a huge flaw which is very unlikely at this point since it's been out long enough for that to be found. As for the lock itself i found weird issue where it would try locking right away of auto lock problems but once resetting the lock and making sure it was up to date before doing anything i seen none of them. It seems like many devices previous settings may not be happy with newer firmware. Are they perfect no but they are quite good for the money and if anything i like to see them add a distress code for opening that would send out alerts. It could come in quite handy for someone in home invasions, distress of dmv cases.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yeah I really love that distress/emergency code you get with SwitchBot. If they added that, it would be great!😃

[@PrivateHireGuy]

Any idea how this would work for folks in the U.K?

[@AutomateYourLife]

It wouldn't at the moment. They need an EU version. But since it's battery powered, as long as the measurements line up for your door...go for it!

[@removeme5206]

Aqara appears to release products that are not fully finished. Their FP2, for example, is essentially an unfinished product that makes many promises but has not yet delivered on them. It has been a year and they still haven't dealt with the issues it has. This makes me wary of trusting a company like this.

[@AutomateYourLife]

I've seen pretty good response on most issues, but they're not perfect. Nobody is but here's my one take: The intention is there to do the right things. They're not always getting it right. Intention matters only so much to a consumer though

[@removeme5206]

@AutomateYourLife Intent doesn't matter to snake oil salesmen. You can claim your product cures cancer, but that doesn't mean it actually does. Aqara made a lot of promises with the FP2, but they haven’t lived up to them. Now, this new product makes similar promises, claiming things will eventually work. Will they deliver? Who knows... but I lean towards probably not. It seems you've had better luck than I have. Every day, I have to use the AI Learning feature to turn off the lights because of "ghosts." I was in bed for about five hours, and during that time, Aqara showed me "leaving" the bed zone 26 times. This unfinished product has never really been fixed. If you say yours is working fine, then you're probably not using Home Assistant or the Zones feature with the Aqara FP2. I’ll admit, the FP2 in the bathroom works mostly okay-it only needs AI learning once every two to three days. But the kitchen one usually needs AI learning one to two times a day, which isn't very consistent and is quite annoying. The kitchen sensor also sometimes shuts off the lights while I’m sitting there watching the microwave. Aqara presence sensors aren’t great at detecting people who aren’t actively moving in the room. Aqara’s presence sensing is about as effective as a slightly more sensitive motion sensor. In comparison, the Linptech ES1 is magnitudes better than Aqara and costs a third of the price (though I guess Aqara has realized their product isn’t that good since they’ve dropped the price from almost $100 per sensor to $75-still about three times what it’s worth). However, the Linptech doesn’t have zones, and if you use Home Assistant, there’s no way to turn off the LED, making it unsuitable for rooms where you don’t want light, like a bedroom. If Aqara would fix the products they already have instead of releasing new ones that "will eventually do stuff," they might earn a better opinion from me. But as it stands, they haven’t earned any trust with the way they’re handling their services. Offering a pay-to-play model on an already outrageously priced item was pretty much the final nail in the coffin for Aqara-especially when it offers services that are clearly not going to function, like sleep tracking. How can it track sleep if it can't even track when you get in and out of bed? But again, that's not about "this product" specifically, though my comment still stands regarding Aqara. I will continue to be wary of trusting a company like this. If they finally follow through on one of the promises they make, then maybe-just maybe-they’ll start earning my trust.

[@IEA_455]

Wait do I need the hub to use this with home key ?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Yep, you'll need a hub. I believe you can use Bluetooth to get it into HK, but I'm not sure it'll let you do Home Key then. Even if it did, I wouldn't use Bluetooth for that kind of communication

[@jmchez]

Hmm. Is it any better than the Switchbot?

[@AutomateYourLife]

It's a very different lock right! This replaces everything. Has an integrated keypad. Shows on the outside. Etc. So I'd say different! Better tech in Zigbee + Bluetooth instead of just Bluetooth. That's the one big thing for me. :)

[@Artificial.Unintelligence]

The loss of a fingerprint reader is a weird sacrifice. It's the easiest and fastest method for people.. have 3 of the U100 and other than it's still a little buggy with auto lock / detecting the door fully closed it's honestly a perfect lock.. I specifically sought it out because it had fingerprints, pin, and keys. Debating another one for an outdoor gate and DIY sealing it up to handle weather. Giving delivery people temporary or service specific codes is great AND counts as proof of delivery.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Many people will still absolutely love the u100. Still do myself!

[@lilbowow4290]

Any information on the u300 ???

[@AutomateYourLife]

Not yet, I think stay tuned :)

[@ldarbonnemagic]

There is a CERTIFIED (not just compliant) Level 1 (highest security level, that is 2 levels above this lowest level security lock) made by a true security lock company (Schlage) for $200. It seems to be worth the extra $50.

[@AutomateYourLife]

That'll depend on your focus, but it could be. Automation is definitely here, schlage is obviously more of a name in locks. But we also were told today that the lock cylinder is a schlage inside of this one so...maybe closer than you thought

[@DonJohn240]

Have you tested the Teeho lock

[@AutomateYourLife]

I haven't! Not a brand I'm familiar with. You like it?

[@Cashyonyt]

Can the key lock be rekeyed to existing keys?

[@AutomateYourLife]

Thats a question for a locksmith, but I don't know how. They'd have to make a lock for your key

[@Cashyonyt]

@@AutomateYourLife Ah OK. A lot of "new" locks have the ability to be set. They come ready for the first time you put the key in it sets the pins to that key. Some allow you to reset and rekey. May take a punt on one.

[@moe85moe85]

@@Cashyonyt it won't work with Kwikset style keys which are the ones with the easy keying feature. So it could be keyed alike to other Aqara locks , but note the cylinder size is strange so not likely for Kwikset / Schalge etc

[@Cashyonyt]

@@moe85moe85 Thanks mate, appreciate the answer and enable me to google those terms to learn more as well.

[@garethjones5068]

Geek Dive should be the name of an AYL blog

[@AutomateYourLife]

A vlog? A blog? All of the above;)

[@vPeteWalker]

Thanks Brian as always for the excellent video! You know, you didn't mention it but I am curious if it works anyway. You did say you can power up the lock using the USB-C on the bottom. I'm wondering if you use rechargeable batteries, could you plug the lock into usb-C to recharge it? I know you could just as easily just pull the batteries out, so this is just my dopey brain wondering. haha Thanks, bud. Be well!

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hey sir :) I have no idea if you could charge rechargeables through it. I don't even have a way to test that...believe it or not, I don't have rechargeable AA's in my place! Doh!

[@vPeteWalker]

@@AutomateYourLife You're just the worst! :P Thanks bud!

[@AutomateYourLife]

@@vPeteWalker I accept my badge of honor

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Ahh yes the 7th video on this today, thanks for being concise

[@AutomateYourLife]

7th in the feed?? 😂😂🤦

[@lsdave]

Yale/August is being left in the dust here.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Truth.

[@tonytango6676]

A wood chisel is not going to work on my steel door.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Lol no it is not!

[@c849243]

Can I just hire you to guard my front door?

[@AutomateYourLife]

I dunno...kinda like a dog. Will let anyone in for food.

[@c849243]

@@AutomateYourLife Just food?

[@Killingsteak29]

If someone really wants to get into your house, they'll just go through your window.

[@AutomateYourLife]

My thoughts too

[@nagyba]

Is it finally available in the EU? Aqara is totally incompetent in this regard. Matter over thread is important.

[@AutomateYourLife]

No EU yet, so I think you'll need to wait

[@AutomateYourLife]

:(

[@ronm6585]

Lol. Thanks Brian.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Glad you had a laugh Ron!

[@moe85moe85]

Still one challenge is they are using the strange cylinder that was in the previous locks - Note: The lock cylinder used for the U50 is a less common specification and is not the same as the Schlage. Please ask a locksmith has a check if they support a replacement.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Someone said it was a Schlage. I think it was modern day tech. Maybe check out his video

[@moe85moe85]

@@AutomateYourLife kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3W5mWyfqt-en7c this also no changing to a cylinder that would support Schlage or Kwikset

[@FACTSWITHANTHONYJAMES]

Aqua is to unreliable for me.

[@AutomateYourLife]

Maybe that's a zigbee interference thing?

[@sherwoodpandaflowerssherwo9633]

Hi

[@AutomateYourLife]

Hiiiiiiiii! :)

[@Valintone]

Hub?? I'm out. It just needs Wi-Fi/BT/NFC

[@AutomateYourLife]

To each their own, but ya this one requires a hub!

[@wizzpet6562]

@@AutomateYourLifeI was under the impression that the hub was not required if we wanted to unlock using an Apple’s watch or iphone? I’m I wrong?

[@AutomateYourLife]

@wizzpet6562 there is a method for Bluetooth direct into Homekit, buuuut that's never nearly as reliable. I wouldn't recommend it