Review: Kwikset's Bluetooth-enabled Kevo deadbolt lock

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
The home automation sector's move to the mainstream has seen innovative new products from startups and industry stalwarts alike, including the Kevo lock from Kwikset, a Bluetooth-enabled, touch-activated smart lock that lets owners use their iPhone as a door key.

Back in May, AppleInsider reported on Kwikset's Kevo unveiling, noting the home security device would use advanced wireless technology from startup UniKey, allowing users unprecedented flexibility through the use of digital keys called "eKeys." For example, permanent eKeys can be sent to family members, while time-based permissions are available for others, like maids or babysitters.

We were able to spend some time with the final production unit over the past week, and have come away impressed with Kwikset's first foray into the digital "eKey" world.

Design

From the outside, Kevo looks almost identical to any other deadbolt setup. The simple "rose," or outside portion of the deadbolt assembly, is made available in three finishes -- Lifetime Polished Brass, Satin Nickel, and Venetian Bronze -- and matches up well with other colors currently available by other brands. When Kevo is not activated, only a close inspection will reveal that it's no ordinary lock.

In fact, looking at it face-on, the only sign that something is amiss is the translucent ring surrounding the cylinder housing. This part hides the five multicolored LED modules that, along with a user-defeatable "beep," serve as the unit's feedback mechanism. The lights blink, spin and flash in five different colors depending on Kevo's status.

The rose, which protrudes from the door no more than a regular deadbolt, is touch-sensitive and is the main mode of interfacing with Kevo. Without this functionality, say if the lock's batteries run dry, users are relegated to using the provided hardware keys like a traditional deadbolt.

That small slit just to the left of the keyway is used for Kwikset's Smartkey re-key technology, which allows the lock to be reconfigured with a new set of physical keys. At least one of the original keys is required to first unlock the mechanism before re-keying. The method can be thought of a a more secure version of reassigning a personalized number to a push-button lock.

One thing that will likely go unnoticed, even to those with a keen eye, is the cylinder's face plate, or the area surrounding the keyway. Kwikset experts told AppleInsider that the component is not actually pure metal, like much of the external parts, but is instead a hybrid metal/plastic material used to enhance radio transparency for the device's built-in antennas.




Kevo's electronic guts are housed within a fairly large shell located on the interior side the door. As seen above, the unit is definitely larger than a regular lock. Kwikset recommends checking that there is enough clearance before purchasing

Aside from looking like a traditional deadbolt assembly, Kevo is compatible with most doors, meaning no special tools beyond a screwdriver are needed for installation. It should be noted that the lock did not fit in a steel door we initially planned to use as a testbed, though boring out the existing hole would have solved the problem. Buyers should check specification requirements prior to buying, but compatibility is nearly identical to most traditional deadbolts on the market.

The indoor portion of Kevo also holds the reset and calibration controls, a removable cage with room for four AA batteries, bolt motor and the PCB, among other electronics. At the bottom of the housing is the interior turnpiece to lock and unlock the mechanism, while the brains are located in a plastic shell just above. The black portion of the removable cover aids in radio transmission.

Given the build quality of the exterior rose, we were disappointed to find so much plastic used on the interior parts. To be clear, the functional components, like brackets, spacers and latch bolt, are all made of strengthened metal, but the parts touched most are all plastic. Possibly a cost-saving measure, we feel that better materials could have been used for the turn knob and housing cover.

Finally, while not a gripe, the user interface is typical of industrial products. That is to say the design is all function, no pizazz, with exposed circuitry and rudimentary labeling. Toggle controls for sound and other functions are even routed through a DIP switch. We have no qualms about the design, in fact, we like to keep it simple, but some consumers may be turned off by the lack of polish on a relatively pricey kit.

Usage

As noted above, installation is about as simple as any other deadbolt, the only difference being a bit of wire routing and positioning of the housing's interior bracket. It took us a little over five minutes to remove our old lock and put in Kevo. For reference, we have a solid core wooden door with separate cutouts for a handle and deadbolt. Our unit also features a steel door frame with integrated door strike, though installation would be identical for houses with a wooden frame and screwed-in strike plate.

Kwikset supplies all the necessary hardware to get Kevo installed for doors with thicknesses of 1-3/8" or 1-3/4" and the latch assembly is adjustable as well. Also included is a 24-step installation and setup guide.

After getting everything hooked up and batteries installed, we decided to activate and enroll the provided Kevo Fob first. The small device holds a Bluetooth Low Energy transceiver and an LED that lights up green when Kevo is successfully locked or unlocked. An accelerometer or other motion sensor is also on-board, as Kwikset says the fob saves energy by putting itself into sleep mode after 30 seconds of non-movement.

By pressing the Program button on Kevo's interior housing, users can enroll both fobs and iPhones. A total of eight separate fobs can be enrolled on one Kevo lock, while a single fob can be enrolled in as many as 25 different Kevo locks.

After we confirmed the fob was operable, we downloaded the Kevo app on our iPhone 5s and proceeded to setup the phone using the same method.

Inside-outside security

A major security feature being touted by Kwikset is Kevo's so-called "inside-outside" fob and smartphone recognition, which intelligently detects whether a verified user is currently inside or outside their house.

If an authorized device is known to be inside the house, unauthorized users are unable to activate Kevo from outside. Further, Kevo won't blink magenta to signify that a fob or iPhone is out of range, something that could alert an intruder to the homeowner's absence. The system acts as a one-way filter that lets only authorized users pass through the entryway.

To enable the feature, Kevo relies on an antenna array to picks up Bluetooth radio signal strength on both sides of the door. Because radio waves can pass through doors, fine calibration and tuning was necessary to achieve a totally secure system.

In order to use inside-outside, users must calibrate Kevo but standing outside the door and touching the rose three times while keeping the fob or iPhone in a pants pocket or purse. The digital key must be in line-of-sight to be recognized. Once an acceptable reading has been logged, Kevo will save the signal strength data to refer to the next time someone tries to activate the lock. If the key is outside the calibrated parameters, the LEDs will flash either red or magenta to signify an error.

The feature proved to be extremely sensitive, and we had to recalibrate our iPhone twice to achieve a range that worked well. This is a good thing, though, as inside-outside is built for protection, not convenience. In our tests, we found Kevo would not activate from the outside, even when an authorized iPhone was positioned directly on the other side of the door.

Further, the calibration settings are device-specific, meaning the inside-outside feature will not be enabled for non-calibrated keys.

Sharing

Another benefit of having a digital set of keys is that they can be shared remotely. For our tests, we sent a variety of eKeys to another device via the Kevo app. Users can accept or deny the invitation and, depending on the type of permissions granted, send their own eKeys to other people.

It should be mentioned that only the first eKey is free. Each subsequent digital key costs $1.99.

eKey access can be set to three levels: time-limited, anytime, or admin. Kevo owners can disable or delete distributed keys at any time.

This is where we ran into a minor security issue. Because Kevo is not Internet-connected, eKey deletion tokens must be sent to the second device. This means a user with "anytime" permission can simply turn off cellular data or Wi-Fi and keep the key indefinitely. Of course, the owner of the revoked device would have to know when the eKey was being deleted and keep their phone off-network.

As a precautionary measures, UniKey, which handles the eKey servers, pushes out a constant delete message, so that any time the second device reconnects, its key will be invalidated. In addition, the primary user can simply reset the Kevo unit manually to wipe all generated eKeys.

On the other hand, users can simply rely on the included fob and forego the iPhone integration. As mentioned above, up to eight can be associated with one Kevo, and Kwikset sells them as accessories.

Day-to-day

When we first installed and used Kevo, the lock mechanism's noise was surprisingly loud. There was also some trouble with out-of-range and inside-outside errors when using the iPhone's eKey. Initially, we thought the iPhone's radio signal was reflecting off a wall inside the house, near the door, but a quick recalibration proved the original settings were performed too close to the lock.

By recalibrating one step back from the door gave a better signal reading for Kevo to parse, resulting in nearly flawless operation thereafter.

Following the recalibration procedure, we were able to keep the iPhone in our pocket or bag and open the door without issue. In our test case, a handle lock is used alongside the deadbolt. Instead of unlocking both with physical keys, our habit has been modified to touch the deadbolt rose upon arriving at the door, then unlocking the bottom handle while Kevo authenticates our phone and unlocks itself.

There is a definite lag time between touching Kevo and opening the door. Spinning blue lights appear when the unit is thinking, and it can take a few seconds to establish a link with your iPhone to authenticate the eKey. We timed it to be three seconds slower than operating the lock manually.

After becoming aware of Kevo's limitations, the lock has become just another part of our daily routine. While motor noise is still present, we believe it no more bothersome than a set of rattling keys, and the lag time becomes less of an issue when carrying 20 pound's worth of groceries.

As a side note, we also turned off the optional on-board chimes because they were a tad too loud.

Conclusion

After using Kevo for over a week, we can't say that it's a life changer. But then, Kwikset never set out to start a revolution. What Kevo does is make life a little easier and, like any good product, doesn't cause frustration by being poorly executed. It does what it says on the box.

There are similar devices coming to market that feature Internet connectivity, remote access and a host of other bells and whistles, but security risks may outweigh any perceived benefit. As it stands, Kevo's Bluetooth LE capabilities and encrypted eKeys are still vulnerable to attack, though much less so due to its insulation from the Web. It would be easier for an intruder to enter through a broken window than hack Kevo's security.

If you're willing to accept the somewhat small chance security risk, as well as some minor quibbles we had with the plasticky housing and finicky calibration method, the Kevo is easy to recommend.

Kevo comes in three different finishes, all of which are in stock now at Amazon for $219.



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