The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held each year in Las Vegas to start the year off in January, provides a glimpse at the newest technologies, many of which are emerging and being leveraged within security. The show traditionally attracts lock companies eager to show off their latest gadgets and innovations, and this year was no different, with many new product announcements and debuts at the event. The following are highlights from CES that are most relevant to locksmiths.
Centrios Padlock Debuts
Highlighted at CES this year is the newest addition to the Centrios access control platform – a padlock that works with the Centrios app. The new padlock provides seamless connectivity and works within the entire Centrios access control platform.
“As an access control platform for small and growing businesses, Centrios is here at CES to show off our small business capabilities,” says Centrios’ Luke Mason, who demonstrated the new padlock and other Centrios’ products at CES this year.
The next big thing for Centrios is its Pro Plan. “Our Pro Plan opens up the capabilities for small businesses to manage access,” says Mason. “It opens up the capacities to manage up to 50 doors for 200 people to have cards or fobs.”
As Mason points out, a great example of the Pro Plan’s capabilities is the new padlock. “The way the padlock works is you have your Centrios app and you press the brass surface on the bottom of it [with your phone] and the padlock connects to the app and unlocks and it opens.”
Other Centrios components on display at CES include a cylindrical lock, which is “ideal for front doors, back-room doors, storeroom doors, anything with that 161 prep,” says Mason. The company also showed off its smart reader, which hooks up to any door, or any electronic locking hardware. “It pairs it perfectly with electric strikes, maglocks, or wave-to-open sensors,” Mason points out. “Centrios kits are also available that include all the ASSA ABLOY components needed for electronic access control.”
Centrios debuted at ISC West 2024 and addresses the North American small business market with a new access control platform comprised of an intuitive, secure app, web interface, and purpose-built electronic locks and readers. Additionally, the business Centrios, a brand and platform developed within ASSA ABLOY, leverages ASSA ABLOY’s scale and capacity to innovate with a bold new start-up strategy and digital-first, customer-centric approach.
Kwikset’s Halo Select
At CES this year, Kwikset highlighted Halo Select, a smart door lock designed to provide a convenient and versatile security solution for your home.
Kwikset’s Charlie Dougherty was at the Pepcom event at CES, where he demoed the new Halo Select smart lock innovation, featuring flexible connectivity with Wi-Fi and Matter built-in to meet today’s homeowner demands.
“Our newest launch is Halo Select, the latest in our Halo Wi-Fi connected lock line,” Dougherty explains. “The beauty of Halo Select is how quiet we have made the motor, and it is a fast and responsive motor that is more powerful and can even overcome door-prop issues that are so common in the space. So, if the door starts warping or changing our motor can overcome that quicker with fewer jams.”
By incorporating Matter over Thread, Halo Select integrates seamlessly with all compatible smart home platforms and devices, so you can simplify your life with smart security automations. With Kwikset’s in-app compatibility check and guided setup, the transition to Matter is also simple and stress-free.
“This is our first launch of a product with Matter, a new smart home standard that is revolutionizing the smart home and making it easier for consumers to get products set up and working with other products … and use any product with any app as long as they are Matter compatibility,” says Dougherty.
With the Kwikset app and built-in Wi-Fi (no hub required), Halo Select empowers you to control your front door from anywhere - lock, unlock, and even grant access to guests, all without traditional keys. Homeowners can share access with family or trusted guests through unique codes or in-app, with real-time notifications ensuring they stay informed about who’s coming and going. The lock also integrates geofence technology to intelligently unlock as you approach your home.
Halo Select redefines smart lock excellence by combining thoughtful design with trusted security and technology. Its bright user-friendly touchscreen features dedicated keypad indicators, ensuring user interactions are seamless and intuitive. The lock’s subtle and easy to install door status sensor confirms the door is properly closed and has not been left ajar, while instant notifications alert users to any potential security issues such as invalid code attempts or lock tampering. Halo Select features Kwikset’s new quiet and powerful motor for a swift locking and unlocking experience. Plus, Halo Select is third-party tested to meet the highest BHMA Grade AAA standards and UL 20-minute fire rating for added peace of mind.
Kwikset will also launch an NFC tap-to-unlock variant, Halo Select+, in early 2025, providing even more flexibility for homeowners.
Lockly Pro Highlights New Product Portfolio
Lockly, a property technology company offering high-quality smart locks, announced a comprehensive expansion of its product portfolio at CES 2025. This expansion includes the Duet Series of smart locks, an elegant Lockly Styla Designer Handlebar Deadbolt, and the brand’s first indoor/outdoor smart security cameras, Sightline and Sightline Pro.
“Our team has always pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in smart home security, and our 2025 launches represent our ability to provide functionality, elegance, and convenience no matter the end users' needs,” says Frank Polidoro, Chief Revenue Officer at Lockly. “The expansion of the Lockly ecosystem leverages innovative lockset solutions and software to deliver smarter security, greater convenience, and peace of mind for anyone adding Lockly to their home or business.”
Lockly’s Duet Series introduces motorized and manual thumb turns for added reliability, user confidence, and longer battery life. The locks offer up to 200 percent more battery life than the industry average, lasting nine to eleven months compared to the typical three to six months for locks with similar features. The Duet Series locks are easy to install thanks to the manual thumb turn option, which ensures that minor hangups with the deadbolt won’t impact the locking process. Also new to this Lockly series are intuitive and responsive LCD touchscreens, enhancing the user experience with modern, high-performance displays. With built-in WiFi, all Duet Series will also be accessible via Apple Home Keys, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa.
Also demoed at CES is the Secure Pro Deadbolt Duet Series UWB Edition, equipped with Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology for proximity-based automatic unlocking. With UWB, the Duet Series’ Secure Pro Deadbolt will allow for hands-free access with automatic unlocking as users approach their front door and auto-locking as they leave for a seamless experience. Lockly’s Secure Pro Deadbolt Duet Series currently supports Android UWB-enabled phones and will also support Apple's NFC+UWB in the future.
The company also showed off the Lockly Vision Prestige Duet Series, the first video smart lock from Lockly with built-in Wi-Fi, eliminates the need for an external hub. This innovative smart lock merges the advanced features of Lockly’s Visage and Vision Zeno Series models to include advanced facial recognition, 2K and HD wide-angle video cameras, and a two-way intercom, offering security with real-time monitoring on the Lockly Home app. As an added security measure for users leaving their homes, Vision Prestige includes an interior LCD screen that, when activated, displays what’s on the other side of the door. These features, along with upgraded night vision, elevate Vision Prestige as a complete home security device.
Additional products highlighted at CES include the Lockly Styla Designer Handlebar Deadbolt smart lock that made its official U.S. debut in a standard deadbolt version. Along with a vertically designed PIN Genie rotating keypad, Lockly Styla features a 2K HD video camera with motion sensors, a 3D biometric fingerprint sensor placed purposefully on the back of the handle, an integrated two-way intercom and color night vision for 24/7 visibility, and a grip-handle one-touch sensor on the interior for unlocking as users leave their home.
Lockly also showed of its new Sightline smart security camera, which marks the company’s entry into the stand-alone camera category. The company will soon be launching the Lockly Virtual Video Intercom, a new experience for all Lockly smart locks without a built-in camera that creates a video-enabled, two-way intercom via any smartphone when a visitor scans a QR code pledge.
UWB Solutions Finally Catching On
First shown at CES for access control five years ago, this ultra wideband technology that uses radio waves to transmit data over short distances has made its way into a few new smart lock options. Back in 2020, HID Global made an appearance at CES in the NXP Semiconductors pavilion touting a demonstration of a practical access control use-case for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology.
Fast forward to 2025, and the first consumer-targeted UWB access control products were hitting the show floor – not as card readers as in HID’s 2020 demo; instead, smart locks were the vehicle for this new technology.
That said, the concept remains the same: A user approaches a door with their authorized personal device (a smartphone), and the UWB device intelligently calculates speed, trajectory, and motion to ascertain intent to enter and unlocks the door precisely as the user reaches their door. The difference being that HID demo actually opened the door, while the products on display at CES simply unlocked a smart lock.
Here's a closer look:
ULTRALOQ Bolt Mission from Xthings
The new ULTRALOQ Bolt Mission UWB + NFC Smart Deadbolt from Xthings was showcased at the Pepcom event at CES. According to a press release, the locks uses UWB – the same technology commonly used in digital car keys – to sense the keyholder's phone location with centimeter-level accuracy, determining both distance and direction of approach. This spatial awareness enables automatic unlocking as users approach from the outside and also prevents unintended unlocking when users are inside their homes.
“We believe [UWB] offers the best hands-free auto unlocking experience,” explains Matthew Brown, Xthings’ Chief Strategy Officer. “A lot of consumers have tried to kind of rig a hands-free experience using Bluetooth or geofencing, but those are not reliable enough – they often open, unlock, and lock without degree of reliability that Ultra-Wideband offers. For that reason, we feel like this is really going to be the way that people want to access their homes, hands free. You can keep your keys and your phone in your pocket, and just walk up to the door. It's as simple as that.”
Bolt Mission additionally features NFC for quick tap-to-unlock functionality and automatic locking. It supports Matter for easy integration, voice commands with Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings, and connects directly to home Wi-Fi via the U home app.
Schlage Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt
The Schlage Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt from Allegion will feature Matter-over-Thread and uses UWB technology to deliver a hands-free unlocking experience. Allegion calls it “Schlage Converge” technology, and it uses Ultra-Wideband and the user’s paired and authorized personal device to perform the necessary trajectory calculations and unlock the door. In addition to hands-free unlocking, the lock includes keypad access code entry, and tap-to-unlock and lock with NFC.
The Schlage Arrive Smart WiFi Deadbolt enhances any exterior door with its blend of simplicity, durability and smart security. As Schlage's first push-button keypad deadbolt equipped with built-in Wi-Fi, the Schlage Arrive Smart Wi-Fi Deadbolt offers effortless code entry, seamlessly integrating with existing smart home technology. It connects directly to the home Wi-Fi network without the need for additional accessories, allowing homeowners to manage access remotely through the latest update to the Schlage Home app. Within the app, users can conveniently manage up to 250 access codes for keyless entry, track lock history and receive customized push notifications.
“With the coming launches of the Schlage Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt and Schlage Arrive Smart WiFi Deadbolt, we are excited to continue our legacy of commitment to innovation in home security,” says David Perozzi, general manager, Allegion Home. “As our first smart lock that will be Matter-over-Thread compatible, Schlage Sense Pro redefines home access, offering an intuitive hands-free unlocking experience and seamless smart home integration. Schlage Arrive provides a simple and secure Wi-Fi solution that is an easy upgrade for first-time smart lock users and those looking to add smart security to more doors throughout their home.”
Lockly Secure Pro Deadbolt Duet Series UWB Edition
Available as a demo at CES, Lockly’s Secure Pro Deadbolt Duet Series UWB Edition is also equipped with UWB technology for proximity-based automatic unlocking. The locks currently support Android UWB-enabled phones, and they are planned to also support Apple's NFC+UWB in the future. Advanced radar technology enables both the indoor and outdoor units to detect individuals, alerting users if someone is lurking outside when unlocking the door. The lock also features advanced power-saving capabilities, intelligently switching between stable manual and fully automatic unlocking based on remaining power.
This was one of several new smart locks from the company (see above). Additional locks in the Duet Series introduced motorized and manual thumb turns for added reliability, user confidence, and up to 200 percent more battery life than the industry average. Also new to the line are intuitive and responsive LCD touchscreens, enhancing the user’s experience with modern, high-performance displays.
Note: This story was done with reporting by Paul Rothman, Chief Editor, Security Business magazine.
Paul Ragusa | Senior Editor
Paul Ragusa is Senior Editor for Locksmith Ledger.
