Smart locks have dominated CES announcements over the years, but for most people, the hype still hasn’t crossed the threshold needed to ditch keys or upgrade aging smart locks.
At CES 2026, Aqara is showing that smart home technology isn’t about more features but about removing friction from everyday routines. The new Smart Lock U400 highlights a shift to smart homes that respond automatically without asking for attention.
Why Most Smart Locks Still Feel Like a Compromise
Smart locks have long promised convenience. However, many require users to pull out a phone or tap an app. Bluetooth-based auto-unlock systems frequently struggle with accuracy, leading to delays, missed unlocks, or concerns about security.
Aqara’s Smart Lock U400 takes a different approach by using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology to understand exactly when someone is approaching the door. Instead of guessing based on signal strength, the lock unlocks only when an authorized user walks up to the door from outside, avoiding false triggers when someone is nearby or inside.
Aqara’s new lock stands out as a genuine upgrade, not just another convenience experiment. Apple Home Key support allows iPhone and Apple Watch users to unlock hands-free, while Matter-over-Thread compatibility ensures the lock works across Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, and more without a proprietary hub.
Why Ultra-Wideband Is More than a Spec Bump
Ultra-Wideband has already proven itself in smartphones and cars, where precise location and security are essential. Unlike Bluetooth-based proximity features, UWB can measure distance and direction with much higher accuracy, which makes automations more reliable and predictable.
For a front door, that precision matters. This improves security, reduces accidental unlocks, and makes hands-free access actually feel trustworthy rather than risky. Most users won’t think about this technology, but they will notice immediately how smoothly UWB can make entering and exiting the home. Imagine faster unlocks, fewer false triggers, and stronger protection against relay attacks.
Interoperability Baked In
One of the biggest reasons smart homes frustrate users is that devices often work best only inside a single ecosystem. Aqara’s Smart Lock U400 builds on continued support for Matter and Thread, which makes its devices easier to use in real homes where Apple, Google, and Alexa products often coexist.
This kind of cross-platform compatibility helps future-proof purchases and reduces the need to rebuild automations when switching phones, platforms, or assistants. For everyday buyers, interoperability is less about standards and more about avoiding headaches down the line. Interoperability also enables the effortless promise of a connected smart home.
The Smart Lock U400 Is Just One Piece of a Bigger Smart Home Shift
Aqara is positioning the U400 as more than a standalone upgrade. It is part of a broader move toward what it calls spatial intelligence. Aqara wants users to pair robust access control with a broader ecosystem that includes hubs, cameras, sensors, and automation tools, all designed for flexible smart integrations across major platforms. This way, smart homes can understand where people are, what they’re doing, and how they move through a space.
The goal is to create more context-aware homes rather than isolated devices. The Smart Lock U400 is the latest realization of this mission. By combining accurate sensing, automation, and AI-driven behavior, the company is working toward homes that adapt naturally without constant manual input.
The U400 shows how access control can benefit from turning a daily task into something automatic and reliable. When presence, movement, and environmental data are combined, automations become more accurate and require far less setup or manual control. This new approach can turn a routine task like unlocking the door into something that happens effortlessly.
Buying Considerations: Who the U400 Makes Sense For
The Smart Lock U400 is especially appealing for Apple Home users, thanks to Apple Home Key’s seamless, truly hands-free access. Still, its Matter support keeps it attractive for mixed-ecosystem homes that don’t want to tie themselves to a single platform.
Buyers looking for reliable auto-unlock, better security, and future-proof standards may find this a more compelling upgrade than traditional Bluetooth locks. Users who primarily rely on basic PIN codes or occasional remote access may not require this level of precision.
Verdict: Why 2026 is the Right Time to Upgrade
Smart home adoption has often stalled because key technologies matured in isolation rather than together. Aqara’s Smart Lock U400 launch at CES 2026 shows what happens when accurate sensing, intelligent automation, and shared standards finally converge in products designed for regular households.
As the first smart lock to combine UWB technology and Apple Home Key compatibility, Aqara’s UWB smart lock offers a noticeable upgrade without adding complexity. For buyers who have been waiting for smart home tech to feel genuinely helpful rather than experimental, this device proves a more effortless smart home is finally here.
Other Smart Access Options from Aqara
The U400 builds on Aqara’s smart lock portfolio which already includes several highly reviewed and awarded smart locks. Fit matters as much as specs:
Aqara Smart Lock U100: Full-featured premium, smart deadbolt lock aimed at front doors and main entries. It works with the Aqara Home app and can integrate into broader ecosystems via Matter (hub required) — Google Home, Alexa, IFTTT, HomeKit. More key features include auto-lock after door closes, gyroscope door status sensing, and robust security standards.
Aqara Smart Lock U50: This entry-level deadbolt brings core smart lock functionality to smart homes wanting access without fingerprint readers. The U50 lock does offer many of the same access options as the U100. It also offers an option to rekey to match existing keys, making installation easier if replacing existing lock.
Aqara Smart Lock U300: Designed for lever and knob doors, this lock makes it possible to install connected access to side doors, offices, garages and more. The U300 features fingerprint recognition built into the handle, PIN codes, Apple HomeKey, NFC cards, app control, and mechanical backup. It also brings Auto-lock, Passage Mode (stay-unlocked for events/traffic), USB-C emergency power to homes that want cohesive smart access all over.
