Lockitron Bolt Replaces Original As Company Aims For Mass Production

During its crowdfunding days, Lockitron was a breathe of fresh air. A connected home gadget that required no re-assembling of your door's existing locking mechanism, Lockitron was great for home owners, and a dream come true for renters. Unfortunately, they ran into the same long delays many crowdfunded hardware platforms experience, causing year-long delays in some cases. Rather than continue that same path, Lockitron is announcing the Bolt, which has the same solid functionality as the original, but has mass production in mind.

Bolt is also a bit more like existing connected locks in so much that it requires you to remove your existing deadbolt hardware. Rather than slip over existing hardware as the original did, Lockitron Bolt replaces your hardware.

According to their blog, Lockitron says they were having trouble with the manufacturing process for the original, and shifting course with manufacturing partners would have taken a year. Bolt, however, is "manufactured in a facility that's proven its ability to ship tens of thousands of units per year".

Bolt operates using the same technology as the original Lockitron. Bluetooth Low Energy keeps you connected via proximity, and Lockitron is taking the WiFi capability to a seperate unit called Bridge. That moves positions Lockitron squarely against August in the connected home marketplace, though the expected $99 price point might win some fans over.

Source: Lockitron