Holomarq Thread

It's been a while since we first reported on a forthcoming smart lock from Sleekpoint, the parent company for Sequra, the smart lock brand, and Airversa, who make the world's first (and only) Thread-enabled air purifier, the Purelle. Now the Sequra HK1 smart latch lock, also with Thread, has now been released and is available to purchase.

The HK1 is HomeKit compatible via Thread, but unlike the majority of HomeKit smart locks, this is designed for latch locks, not deadbolt locks, so essentially this is almost in a category of its own, aside from the Yale Assure Lever Lock. This means it can replace lever handles and door knob-type locks.

As already stated, the lock itself utilises Thread for both better battery life, but also snappier response times, when compared to Bluetooth, which is still generally used with HomeKit-compatible smart locks, including the forthcoming Aqara U100 smart lock.

The HK1 currently only comes in one finish – Matte Black – although the non-HomeKit variant comes in four finishes – Matte Black, Silver (glossy), Space Grey, and Metallic Gold, with only the Matte Black option featuring a black keypad. Hopefully, the HomeKit model will follow suit with the same four finishes. Like the majority of HomeKit locks, this doesn't come with Apple HomeKey functionality, although the good news is that it makes use of the Manage Access feature in Apple Home, which means you can manage your passcodes all directly from within the Home app. If you want to get even more granular functionality, then the Sleekpoint app offers things like one-time passcodes and periodic passcodes that can be limited to certain times of the day and certain days of the week, which is something lacking in Apple's option. You can of course unlock the door without using the keypad at all, via any HomeKit-enabled app, which also means it can be used in scenes and automations, as standard.

The lock also features ‘Passage mode’ which allows the latch to stay unlocked for when you might have a party, with people coming and going in and out of the house, for example. The company state the lock is weatherproof, although no specific IP rating is mentioned in the Amazon listing. The HK1 also takes four AA batteries, with a claimed average life of two years between battery changes. There's also no word on when or whether the lock will be updated to support Matter, although from what we’ve been told, the Thread radio inside should be capable of such an upgrade.

The lock is available in Amazon stores now, priced at just US$79.99 on Amazon.com which has to be the lowest price so far for a smart lock, let alone one with Thread.