Aqara, a major device maker in the smart home market, has received Matter certification for its upcoming smart lock, the U200 Lite. The certification was filed last week and signals that a new product will soon join Aqara’s portfolio.
The company, known for its range of smart locks in the U series, has previously listed four models of smart lock globally and seven in its home market with varying protocols and platform support, according to its official website. The addition of “Lite” to the product name suggests the device may offer a compact design or an entry-level price point that aligns with its global release strategy.
Smart Lock U200 Lite connectivity
The Matter certification indicates that the new U200 Lite supports both Thread and Bluetooth. This compatibility means that the new smart lock will be able to work with supported Matter-enabled platforms, provided that a Thread border router is set up on the local network.
Smart Lock U200 Lite
A retrofit smart lock for European homes that combines Matter compatibility, remote access, and multiple unlocking methods without altering the door.
Despite the certification, Aqara has not yet provided extensive details on the device’s specifications, features, or pricing. The compliance documents available for the U200 Lite suggest that, regarding Matter functionality, there are no major differences compared to other models in the U series, such as the U200 and U300.
Another dual protocol device?
Aqara has been pursuing a dual protocol approach across their product lines. Their devices have supported both Zigbee and Matter-over-Thread, which includes a wide range of sensors, switches, and lights.
As U300, their most recent model has been released for a while globally, it could be a good timing to renew the line with their new tech stack, and it could mark the first door lock with both Zigbee and Matter-over-Thead support. Such an appliance looks like a setback or shying away from Matter and Thread, but it does reduce frustration for users who constantly experience connectivity issues with Thread at the moment, before the protocol becomes more mature in the future via software update. Cost-wise, it also reduces the stock keeping unit to maintain a minimal budget for their product research and development.
Aqara told Matter Alpha that Smart Lock U200 Lite will be released in Q2.
(Source: CSA, Aqara Global, Aqara CN)
