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The Aqara U100 Smart Lock has been regarded as the best Apple HomeKit-compatible smart lock on the market ever since its release last year, even landing the top spot on our list of best smart locks, HomeKit-compatible or otherwise.
However, with a retail price of around $500, it was always just out of reach for many smart home enthusiasts. Now, just over a year later, Aqara has followed it up with a more budget-friendly version, the U50.
The U50 retails for $349, and although it does make a few sacrifices to get to that number, at its core, it offers almost all of the same functionality as its pricier sibling—and even throws in a couple of extras.
It's got the same six-month battery life (estimates based on average usage), the same gyroscope-based door status sensor (which allows for automatic locking when the door is closed), the same easy installation, and most of the same unlocking methods, including Apple Home Keys (for use with iPhone and Apple Watch), NFC cards (not included), physical keys, digital keypad, voice assistant and the Aqara app.
The design is much the same, too, with only its colour changing (from silver to black) and the removal of the U100's fingerprint sensor.
The U50 has the same water resistance rating but lacks the dust-proofing of the U100 (IPx6 vs IP56). It also doesn't come with a hub included, meaning you'll need to fork out extra for an Aqara hub (ranging from $49 for the basic Zigbee-based E1 to $279 for the top-of-the-line M3) if you intend on connecting your smart lock to Google Home or Alexa. A hub isn't necessary if you don't care about accessing the lock remotely, but an Apple TV or HomePod will do the job if you're already in the ecosystem.
Sacrifices aside, the U50 offers a few welcome new features, including the ability to rekey the physical lock and a USB-C port for emergency charging should the lock's 4 x AA batteries run flat.
The Aqara U50 is available now at Officeworks, Bing Lee and via Aqara's website. We were lucky enough to get our hands on one, so watch this space for a review in the coming weeks.
