We’ve seen smart locks that you unlock with a keypad, a phone, or even facial recognition, but Eufy’s latest model—which is actually a video doorbell and a smart lock—serves up a relatively new way of opening your door by scanning your palm.
Available for pre-order next month (existing Eufy users can place a pre-order now), the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max isn’t the first smart lock to employ this new biometric authentication method. TP-Link’s Tapo brand showed off a palm-recognition model at CES, for example, and we’ve also tested palm reader-equipped smart locks from Philips and TCL.
The technology is pretty cool, with the integrated reader using near-infrared light to scan the “sub veins” of your palm. The lock then compares the scan to those in a database of previously enrolled palm scans and, if there’s a match, voilà! The lock opens, no touches required.
Palm vein recognition is designed to work even if you have dirty, wet, sweaty, or peeling skin. For its part, Eufy promises that its FamiLock S3 Max can deliver up to 99.99999-percent accuracy (yes, that’s a lot of nine’s).
Designed to run on a 15,000mAh rechargeable battery or AAA backup batteries, the FamiLock S3 Max boasts a traditional keypad for PIN entry. Eufy says the lock meets the ANSI grade one standard, which is the highest level of the ANSI grading system for door locks.
Besides its smart lock capabilities, the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max also works as a video doorbell, serving up 2K video resolution and a 150-degree vertical and 180-degree horizontal field of view (good for a head-to-toe view of your doorstep), The Verge reports.
Dual motion sensors and human recognition also figure into the FamiLock S3 Max’s feature set, while the device itself can connect to Eufy’s HomeBase 3 hub, The Verge adds.
Like the Lockly Visage Zeno, a facial recognition-style smart lock that we recently reviewed, the FamiLock S3 has an integrated screen, handy for seeing who’s at your door without having to dig out your phone or steal a glance at a smart display.
That’s all pretty enticing, but don’t expect the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max to come cheap. Other smart locks we’ve seen with palm recognition have cost upwards of $300 and, at $399, the FamiLock is no exception. (The TCL lock mentioned above is a more affordable option at $199.99, although it’s not a lock/doorbell combo like the Eufy.)
A version of the Eufy lock that jettisons the integrated screen whittles the price down to $349, according to The Verge.
We’ll have a full review of the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max once we spend some quality time with a test unit.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.