Getting home with arms full of groceries or having a guest at your place and needs to get in but does not have the key, having a secure keyless entry into a place via your smartphone will make things easier for everyone.
Unikey Kevo is one of the first smart locks that hit the market, it’s available presently in a polished brass, satin nickel and Venetian(dark) bronze colours from Amazon, Brookstone, Build.com, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Newegg. Its available at a price of $219.
Making use of Unikey Kevo, there is an application that one needs to download before you can use it. The app is only available on the iPhone, Android version still to come.
Using your smartphone as the control after the installation of the app, you touch the lock twice to lock and once to unlock. You don’t need to have your phone out (of your pocket or bag) or the app open. Kevo operates with four AA batteries, which will last one year of normal touch operation. When you purchase the Unikey Kevo, you also get a normal key as backup.
Apart from the touch advantage Kevo has, You can also send eKeys to whoever you want to get access to your place. You email the eKeys to someone and the person just needs to download the Kevo apps to accept the keys.
Installing Kevo may look complicated for a person who has not done something related to fixing locks. If you are experienced in lock installation, it makes it easier and you spend about 10 to 15 minutes to install. In all events, there are a few installation wrinkles. Two wires have to be connected within the mechanism, and you have to explicitly follow the directions when installing the battery pack.
After installation, you need to calibrate your fob and the iPhone tio the Kevo, this actually takes a longer time than the installation process. it has to be done separately, and each likely will need to be repeated several times.
The process for calibration goes thus; Kevo’s back cover easily slides up and off to reveal a program and a calibration button. You press the calibration button, then touch the fob or iPhone to the lock mechanism to activate the calibration sequence.
You then go outside and close the door and go through a touching procedure until the lock recognizes the fob and iPhone.
Kevo starts to operate perfectly, once installed and calibrated. You then need to register your Kevo account and eKey , then you have to name your key. it takes about 10 minutes to complete this process.
The Advantages Kevo is you Touch to open and touch to lock, you can also send the eKey to other peoppla and it has a long lasting AA batteries which last a year.
It also has some disadvantages which are; No customizable proximity limits, No temporary, time-specific eKeys, No Wi-Fi remote access.
Regardless of the good or bad side of Kevo, the bottom line this is a great innovation, having a keyless entry into a particular place. It’s similar to the cars we have now that do not need a key to open their doors or to even drive them.
