First introduced at CES, the Kevo Plus is a new product that accompanies the Kevo, a popular Bluetooth-enabled smart lock. The Kevo Plus adds online connectivity to the Kevo, allowing for remote access for the first time.
With the new Kevo Plus, it’s now possible for Kevo users to lock and unlock their doors from anywhere in the world, in addition to unlocking them when close by with Bluetooth. Kevo Plus connectivity is enabled through a Bluetooth-enabled gateway that plugs into the router with an Ethernet connection to form a secure interaction between the Kevo and the Kevo Plus Gateway.
The Kevo Plus Gateway
To get remote access, existing Kevo users will need to upgrade their accounts to Kevo Plus, paying a one time upgrade fee of $69.99 on the Kevo website. After paying the fee, they’ll receive the Kevo Plus gateway, which will be able to receive remote commands when a user is away from home and communicate those to the Kevo via Bluetooth. A single Kevo Plus Gateway is able to connect with and interact with multiple Kevo locks.
To support the new remote access functionality, the accompanying Kevo app will be updated today. In addition to support for the Kevo Plus gateway, the update adds InHome Locking and Unlocking, letting users lock and unlock the Kevo with an iPhone if they’re within Bluetooth range. This new feature does not require Kevo Plus.
The Kevo Smart Lock is available from several retailers such as Amazon.com and Apple.com for $190 to $220. The Kevo Plus add-on can be purchased from the Kevo website for $70. The Kevo app is available from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
