Level Lock had hidden Thread radio, will support Matter over Thread

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited April 23

Unbeknownst to buyers, Level included a secret Thread radio in all of its well-reviewed smart locks that will soon be updated to support Matter.




In a statement to The Verge, Level Home CTO Ken Goto said, "all Level Locks are 100% hardware compatible with Matter." They'll be updated in the future to support Matter, though no timeline was provided.

All Level locks are included in the update: the Bolt, Lock, Lock Touch, and the all-new Lock Plus. The Level Lock Plus was just released and touts Home Key support as its distinguishing feature.

Matter is an IP-based standard, meaning it works over Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or Thread. However, Matter does not support Bluetooth, so it was assumed Level Locks would not adopt the standard.

We reviewed the Level Lock Plus at launch and largely considered it to be the go-to smart lock for HomeKit users. This Thread update will make it only more useful as it can help solve connection issues for those who don't have a Home Hub within Bluetooth range.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,422member
    Wow, what a nice surprise. I like when companies don't mention the hidden features until it's official and can be supported. 

    That's what I hope with HomePod mini with their mysterious humidity/temp sensor that's not being used for consumers. I hope with update, it will show those sensors. 
  • Reply 2 of 10
    mikeybabesmikeybabes Posts: 67member

    The same lock which offers about 5 seconds of protection. Expensive lock cheap barrel internals from the dollar store. Not so secure for 300+ bucks.

    darkvader
  • Reply 3 of 10
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 2,009member
    mikeybabes said:

    The same lock which offers about 5 seconds of protection. Expensive lock cheap barrel internals from the dollar store. Not so secure for 300+ bucks.

    Wut? You mean the key cylinder has the same vulnerability to lock pickers as pretty much every other key cylinder on billions of other locks that everyone else everywhere has?

    Of course, most of those other locks won’t send an alert to the owner the moment someone opens it, so there’s that…
    mike1the1maximuswatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 10
    Andrew_OSUAndrew_OSU Posts: 573member, editor
    mikeybabes said:

    The same lock which offers about 5 seconds of protection. Expensive lock cheap barrel internals from the dollar store. Not so secure for 300+ bucks.

    This is literally a commonality among key cylinder deadbolts. Basically, every other deadbolt down the aisles of Home Depot and Lowes offer the same protection. It's like the entirety of the internet just realized how vulnerable your standard locks are yet they all have them on their homes.
    ihatescreennameswatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 10
    ihatescreennamesihatescreennames Posts: 1,904member
    AppleZulu said:
    mikeybabes said:

    The same lock which offers about 5 seconds of protection. Expensive lock cheap barrel internals from the dollar store. Not so secure for 300+ bucks.

    Of course, most of those other locks won’t send an alert to the owner the moment someone opens it, so there’s that…
    Not to mention, if a friend who will be staying with me arrives when I won’t be home I don’t need to hide a key outside for them to use and hope it’s in a good spot and nobody noticed me putting it there.

    Or when I’m in bed for the night and my SO gets panicked that the garage door isn’t locked I don’t need to get out of bed, go downstairs and through the garage either in the dark or squinting because I’m turning on lights to verify that yes, it is locked.

     We go for frequent walks and exit/enter via the garage door with a deadbolt. Neither of us likes to carry our keys when walking, and with a lock like this we don’t need to. 

    People act like $330 is a crazy amount of money. I know people whose cable/internet bill is almost that every month. 
    mike1watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 10
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    ihatescreennames said:
    AppleZulu said:
    mikeybabes said:

    The same lock which offers about 5 seconds of protection. Expensive lock cheap barrel internals from the dollar store. Not so secure for 300+ bucks.

    Of course, most of those other locks won’t send an alert to the owner the moment someone opens it, so there’s that…
    Not to mention, if a friend who will be staying with me arrives when I won’t be home I don’t need to hide a key outside for them to use and hope it’s in a good spot and nobody noticed me putting it there.

    Or when I’m in bed for the night and my SO gets panicked that the garage door isn’t locked I don’t need to get out of bed, go downstairs and through the garage either in the dark or squinting because I’m turning on lights to verify that yes, it is locked.

     We go for frequent walks and exit/enter via the garage door with a deadbolt. Neither of us likes to carry our keys when walking, and with a lock like this we don’t need to. 

    People act like $330 is a crazy amount of money. I know people whose cable/internet bill is almost that every month. 

    $330 can get you a lock that's significantly harder to pick, one that would take an experienced picker a significant length of time, and isn't vulnerable to a low-skill raking attack.  Or you can buy this piece of crap.

    Even a Kwikset Smart Key lock offers more protection, and they've got HomeKit compatible options available.
    bfh
  • Reply 7 of 10
    bfhbfh Posts: 1member

    The same lock which offers about 5 seconds of protection. Expensive lock cheap barrel internals from the dollar store. Not so secure for 300+ bucks.

    This is literally a commonality among key cylinder deadbolts. Basically, every other deadbolt down the aisles of Home Depot and Lowes offer the same protection. It's like the entirety of the internet just realized how vulnerable your standard locks are yet they all have them on their homes.
    That's not true at all. You can get a deadbolt that's bump-proof and resistant to raking for under $15 at Amazon and less than $20 at Home Depot.

    https://www.amazon.com/Kwikset-Single-Cylinder-Deadbolt-SmartKey/dp/B003APS8GK

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kwikset-660-Series-Satin-Nickel-Single-Cylinder-Deadbolt-Featuring-SmartKey-Security-with-Microban-Antimicrobial-Technology-660-15-SMT-RCAL-RCS/202099363

    This level of security is inexcusable.
    gatorguy
  • Reply 8 of 10
    the1maximusthe1maximus Posts: 89member
    How is this only getting to you now? This news broke on reddit over a year ago.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeKit/comments/ps0h4t/level_locks_are_capable_of_thread_support_let/
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 10
    Open_MobileOpen_Mobile Posts: 2member
    Awful company to deal with. Next to no post-launch dev support.

    I hope the author runs this lock for several months, so they can appreciate just how broken things can be.

    Their prior top of the line lock - the Level Touch has:
    - random unlocking that isn't logged in the app (your door is left unlocked)
    - lobotomized since iOS 16 - thinks you're on the other side of the door, so bluetooth unlocking when you arrive home doesn't work - and unlocks itself when you get close to the door with your phone sometime afterwards (in my case, usually happens 15-20 minutes after I'm home).
    - touch feature is insanely slow (much faster to get out your key)
    - using the cards or fobs that they sell separately is similarly slow
    - their "low" audio option is quite loud - all of your neighbours in an apartment/condo complex will know you have a smart lock (so, so much for stealth)
    - chews through CR2 batteries every 3 months

    Edit: All of that is with their own software - the unreliability of HomeKit automations, you can't lay at their feet (I didn't use them).
  • Reply 10 of 10
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    bfh said:

    The same lock which offers about 5 seconds of protection. Expensive lock cheap barrel internals from the dollar store. Not so secure for 300+ bucks.

    This is literally a commonality among key cylinder deadbolts. Basically, every other deadbolt down the aisles of Home Depot and Lowes offer the same protection. It's like the entirety of the internet just realized how vulnerable your standard locks are yet they all have them on their homes.
    That's not true at all. You can get a deadbolt that's bump-proof and resistant to raking for under $15 at Amazon and less than $20 at Home Depot.

    https://www.amazon.com/Kwikset-Single-Cylinder-Deadbolt-SmartKey/dp/B003APS8GK

    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kwikset-660-Series-Satin-Nickel-Single-Cylinder-Deadbolt-Featuring-SmartKey-Security-with-Microban-Antimicrobial-Technology-660-15-SMT-RCAL-RCS/202099363

    This level of security is inexcusable.
    That first link, the Kwikset Smart Lock, is the one I've been using for at least the past 4 years. I bought it for the quick rekey and did not realize it was also far more secure than typical locks. Thanks!
    muthuk_vanalingam
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