The first wireless-powered smart deadbolt launches later this year, but you’ll have to wait for the wireless power. The Alfred DB2S is the first self-install smart lock that can be charged via infrared power transfer, and Alfred says it will be available in early Q2 for $299 at The Home Depot, Lowe’s and other retailers.
There’s one small catch, though: for that $299 you can’t charge wirelessly, at least not yet. You have one for that Wi charge charging kit, which will be available through consumer channels in the second half of 2023 at the earliest. The price for the kit has not been set.
When available, the charging kit will consist of a replacement lock backplate with a built-in Wi-Charge receiver, as well as a transmitter that requires continuous power and line-of-site to the slot. It uses infrared energy to safely transmit power over up to 30 feet and can power multiple devices at once. Wi-Charge co-founder Ori Mor says the technology is FDA approved.
If you pick up a DBS2 at The Home Depot or Lowe’s later this year, it won’t come with a Wi-Charge receiver and transmitter. But you’ll be fine with the included rechargeable Li-Ion battery until the Wi-Charge kit hits stores in the second half of 2023. Alfred says the battery gets nine to eleven months between charges and takes just two to three hours to charge with a standard USB-C phone charger.
Wireless charging integration seems to be the main difference between the $299 DB2S and the $199 Alfred DB2, which you can buy in stores today. The DB2 has a touchscreen keyboard and works via Bluetooth, with Z-Wave available through an add-in module and Wi-Fi with a separate $59 bridge for connection to smart home systems including Alexa and Google Home.
The DBS2 has all of the above, plus support for RFID cards and Zigbee (and wireless charging, of course). Alfred says the integration of matter is on the roadmap. At least then you’ll have a pretty decent smart lock, even if the wireless charging part never pans out.
Correction, Saturday, January 7, 3:19 PM ET: An earlier version of this article suggested that Wi-Charge wireless power receivers and transmitters are not available. Alfred says they are available to commercial customers through direct sales and have already shipped to an unspecified “small and growing number of customers.” The company says it plans to make them available through retailers in the second half of this year. We regret the mistake.
