Aqara has released the Smart Lock U600, a battery-powered smart lock built for the multipoint locking doors common in the UK. It connects through Matter over Thread and supports Apple Home Key and Samsung Wallet Key.
How It Works on UK Multipoint Doors
Most smart locks on the market are designed around American deadbolts or European cylinders, which makes UK doors a harder fit. The U600 keeps your existing lock mechanism and adds a slim panel on each side of the door. The outer panel measures 335 x 40.5 x 28 mm, and it suits uPVC, composite and timber doors.
Aqara says most people can fit it in 15 to 30 minutes with a screwdriver and no drilling or wiring. The design is reversible and can be removed without permanent changes, which is great for renters. Aqara already sells the Smart Rim Lock U500 and Smart Gate Lock U500 in the UK, positioning the U600 as the multipoint door option.
The lock doesn’t use a motor to drive the bolts. It checks your credentials electronically, then lets you operate the handle as you normally would. You still lift the handle to lock and push it down to open. This approach copes better with doors that have shifted or become stiff over time. Lifting the handle only extends the bolts and doesn’t complete the electronic lock, so you also need the adjustable auto-lock timer, the lock button, the app or an automation.
It’s worth noting that it won’t fit every door. Aqara lists a backset of 35 to 70 mm, a center distance of 72 to 92 mm and a door thickness of 40 to 80 mm. The handle must also travel less than 60 degrees when opening.
Matter over Thread and Apple Home Key
The U600 uses Matter over Thread, and Aqara lists Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Home Assistant, SmartThings and Homey as compatible systems. It has Bluetooth and NFC too, but no Wi-Fi. To use it with a particular ecosystem, you need a Thread border router from that platform that supports Matter.
Apple Home Key lets you add a key to Apple Wallet on an iPhone XS or later and an Apple Watch Series 6 or later. You hold the device near the lock to open it, and Express Mode skips the unlock step. Apple’s Power Reserve lets a compatible iPhone keep opening the lock for up to five hours after its battery runs out. It needs an Apple home hub, such as a HomePod or Apple TV, and Apple Home users get lock status, remote control and automations. Samsung users can use Samsung Wallet Key through SmartThings.
The U600 has no Ultra Wideband (UWB), so you tap the phone to the lock, as it doesn’t unlock as you walk up. You don’t need an Aqara hub for basic use. A compatible hub such as the M3, M200, M100, G5 Pro or G410 adds remote unlocking and automations with other Aqara devices through the Aqara Home app, with no subscription.
Unlock Methods and Power
You can unlock the U600 with a fingerprint, a PIN, an NFC card, Apple Home Key, Samsung Wallet Key, the app, Siri or Alexa voice commands, or a mechanical key. The fingerprint reader stores up to 50 prints and reads in about half a second, and the lock holds permanent, timed and scheduled PIN codes. Aqara NFC cards are sold separately.
Four AA batteries power it, which Aqara rates at up to 10 months. A USB-C port under the outer panel supplies emergency power from a power bank, and the app warns you at 20 and 10 percent. The outer panel has an IP65 rating and works from -20°C to 55°C.
Pricing and Availability
The Aqara Smart Lock U600 costs £229 including VAT on Aqara’s UK shop, which is supplied by EasyGates. Amazon UK lists it at £229.99.
