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Friday Labs Debuts New HomeKit-Enabled 'Friday Lock'

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Friday Labs today announced the long-awaited launch of its Friday Lock, which was originally introduced in 2015 as part of an Indiegogo campaign for the "world's most advanced smart lock."

When the lock was first conceived, HomeKit-compatibility wasn't mentioned as a feature, but the release version of the device supports Apple's smart home system.

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According to Friday Labs, the Friday Lock is the world's "smallest and most stylish" retrofit lock, and the only lock to offer Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and HomeKit in a single product.

The Friday Lock is slender, unassuming, and available in a range of finishes to match different decors, including brass, bronze, copper, gun metal, nickel satin, porcelain, and silver. According to the lock's creators, it was designed not to shout "I'm a very intelligent object on your door," so it doesn't feature a screen, lights, or other features that would make it stand out.

fridaylock2-800x248.jpg
"We're delighted to announce Friday Lock's availability today. Friday Labs is a design-driven company - our goal is to provide users with secure, connected products that encompass functional design and feel good to use, said Marcus Tempte, CEO of Friday Labs. He continued, "We've created a beautiful lock with changeable shells made from die cast metal with gorgeous finishes to make doors fit naturally in with the rest of the house or any room."
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Siri commands or an iPhone with the Home app can be used to control the Friday Lock, thanks to its HomeKit integration. There's a remote key system that allows one-time entry to let in guests, using a text message for activation. For family members, there's also an option for unlimited access, and a geofencing system detects when an iPhone is near, automatically unlocking the door.

A Friday Universal Baseplate is used to mount the Friday Lock to any door, with no locksmith required for installation, and there's also a Door Adapter Plate to ensure a solid fit even on doors that need longer tailpieces. A rechargeable battery is included, which lasts approximately three months before needing to be recharged via an included USB charger.

The Friday Lock can be pre-ordered from the Friday Labs website in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland starting today. The lock is priced at $249 and pre-orders will ship out in three to four weeks.

Article Link: Friday Labs Debuts New HomeKit-Enabled 'Friday Lock'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/05/02/friday-labs-homekit-compatible-friday-lock/
Does this fit over the existing deadbolt latch? Or do you need to replace the whole assembly? It so, what's on the other side where you'd insert a key?
 
Looks sleek.

I never really thought about smart locks having batteries, but that makes sense. Curious how seasonal weather affects expected battery life. When I lived up north, it wasn't strange to see the inside front door handle and deadbolt covered in frost during the winter months.
 
I am curious about having to recharge with a cable. I had two of the Kwikset locks and they went through batteries like mad (every month or two). I replaced them in January with two HomeKit compatible Schlage Sense locks and (knock on wood) they get much better battery life so far. Plus they work reliably with HomeKit.

While I like the look of this, having to plug in a cable to charge it just sounds weird. Perhaps in reality it won't be an issue, but that was the one thing that stuck out.
 
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Their compatibility info is really lacking in detail...

After ordering an August and finding out it's incompatible I don't have my hopes up with this one... :(
 
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That's a beautiful lock. I have Schalage HomeKit locks and they're great mostly because I can create a one-time-use code on my iPhone from anywhere in the world and share via text / email with a contractor or friend. This lock appears to have no code option meaning I'd have to invite them to HomeKit (whole house) so they could get in w/o me being there.

It's a gorgeous lock for sure.
 
DTphonehome said:
Does this fit over the existing deadbolt latch? Or do you need to replace the whole assembly? It so, what's on the other side where you'd insert a key?
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Click the link to the website in the article, all of your questions would be answered.
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centauratlas said:
I am curious about having to recharge with a cable. I had two of the Kwikset locks and they went through batteries like mad (every month or two). I replaced them in January with two HomeKit compatible Schlage Sense locks and (knock on wood) they get much better battery life so far. Plus they work reliably with HomeKit.

While I like the look of this, having to plug in a cable to charge it just sounds weird. Perhaps in reality it won't be an issue, but that was the one thing that stuck out.
Click to expand...

You can take the knob off with a credit card and change the battery. Go to the manufacturer website and all of your questions or doubts should be answered.
 
Not good if you have a double deadbolt lock. Basically you need a key to get out. Useful if you have glass in your door to prevent someone from gaining entry just by busting in the window and turning the lock from the inside.
 
Looks great. I just got an August Smart Lock which I am happy with, but I'd love to see the deadbolt lock get smaller. The August one is a bit comical.
 
Having HomeKit is a great benefit but despite my interest in these devices, I don't think I can get too interested in something that I have to recharge like that.

I would rather see something that keeps the lock charged with a low voltage, like that used in a thermostat or doorbell, with the battery as a backup. Also I would prefer that the battery not be a proprietary one, but rather an easily replaceable one based on an industry standard.
 
Robert.Walter said:
Having HomeKit is a great benefit but despite my interest in these devices, I don't think I can get too interested in something that I have to recharge like that.

I would rather see something that keeps the lock charged with a low voltage, like that used in a thermostat or doorbell, with the battery as a backup. Also I would prefer that the battery not be a proprietary one, but rather an easily replaceable one based on an industry standard.
Click to expand...

I've been using Shlage Sense for 1 year, the battery level still 67% as of now. And it's using 4 x AA batteries.
 
Robert.Walter said:
Having HomeKit is a great benefit but despite my interest in these devices, I don't think I can get too interested in something that I have to recharge like that.

I would rather see something that keeps the lock charged with a low voltage, like that used in a thermostat or doorbell, with the battery as a backup. Also I would prefer that the battery not be a proprietary one, but rather an easily replaceable one based on an industry standard.
Click to expand...
It looks to have a standard 18350 LiIon battery, which are readily available on Amazon for $10 a pair or less. 18350 batteries are most commonly used for flashlights and vaping devices. Of course, if true, they're really doing their customers a disservice by not including this information anywhere on their website. I'm sure they would much rather have you purchase replacements directly from them for considerably more money and of course longer than 2 days shipping speed...
 
I'm skeptical of lots of smart home devices, but this looks very useful. Managing physical keys is quite painful. To name one of many issues: One of the dorms in UC Berkeley had to redo all their locks ($$$) because someone lost the master key, possibly into malevolent hands.
 
It reminds me of bluetooth headphones - for some people the lack of the cable (key) makes it all worth it, but to me it feels like you just trade one fairly inconsequential disadvantage for other disadvantages instead. And then it's subjective to each person which disadvantage(s) they would rather remove.

I do think it looks nicely designed though, for those who want a smartlock.
 
Perhaps I'm being overcautious, but I'm not sure that I want my doors to unlock automatically when I'm in the vicinity, because I wouldn't notice if something went wrong and they were unlocked all the time. I suppose I could leave my phone out of range while approaching the house to check that the doors are locked, but that would be a bother to do routinely. So I'd have them unlock at a tap, but not automatically.
 
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Paul Dawkins said:
If it contained an actual lock then it would be worth the price, but for a thing that just turns the knob? Are you ****ing joking?
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It's not a thing that just turns the knob. It replaces it completely while leaving your existing lock in place. It seems like you didn't bother clicking the link in the article to see what the actual product is and how they showed you how it's constructed and works.
 
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ke-iron said:
It's not a thing that just turns the knob. It replaces it completely while leaving your existing lock in place. It seems like you didn't bother clicking the link in the article to see what the actual product is and how they showed you how it's constructed and works.
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Still makes no difference.
 
Has anyone yet made a double cylinder smart lock? Really don't want to make the move on these until I can replace multiple doors with the same family of smart lock but I do have glass windows on a couple of the doors.
 
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