Philips Enhances Smart Lock Offering
Lighting company Philips entered the Smart Lock market a year ago and at this year’s CES, announced an update to the product. The Philips 5000 Series Video Palm Recognition smart lock uses palm vein recognition, a biometric authentication technology, to unlock a home’s door. The 2025 update adds 1080p video resolution and voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant. The 5000 Series connects via Wi-Fi and does not need an additional hub, cutting down on the additional equipment needed to operate the device.
The Circana Take:
- Expect more companies to wade into the Smart Lock market as security and monitoring continue to drive smart home investment. The use of palm vein biometrics to authenticate users adds another layer of security for home owners beyond device/NFC technology.
- As the smart lock market matures, biometrics will play a more prominent role in securing the home.
Aqara Releases 3 Screen Devices
Smart Home brand Aqara released a trio of screen devices at CES 2025 aimed at helping users control all the connected devices in their homes. The Panel Hub S1 Plus, Touchscreen Dial V1 and Touchscreen Switch S100 can each be installed in the place of a regular light switch and tap into the existing circuit to wirelessly manage devices enabled via the Aqara app. Aqara’s screens are customizable and can control multiple devices via widgets shown on the display. The displays can also be used to view security camera footage and personal photos can be uploaded to create wallpapers and backgrounds. The Panel Hub doubles as a Zigbee hub for connecting Zigbee devices and bridging them into Matter.
The Circana Take:
- Aqara continues to invest heavily in Matter which shows in these product announcements. Beyond integration with different product ecosystems, the trio of displays released by Aqara are embedded with several sensors including temperature, humidity, and proximity, adding even more utility to the products.
- The ease of installation could be the device’s most important feature, allowing users to install the screens wherever they have a light switch.