Aqara’s CES 2026 announcements leaned hard into the idea of the lock that disappears — no PIN, no tap, no explicit authentication. The Aqara U400 smart lock, unveiled in Las Vegas, unlocks hands-free as you approach using ultra-wideband, supports the Aliro smart lock standard for cross-platform phone unlocking, and runs on Matter over Thread. It is one of the clearest examples yet of where access control is headed.
Hands-free unlocking, without the relay attacks
The U400’s headline trick: there is no need for a PIN, a tap, or any explicit authentication gesture, and the iPhone or Apple Watch does not need to be tapped against the lock. Walk up, and it unlocks.
Hands-free unlocking has existed before, but usually over Bluetooth signal strength — a method vulnerable to relay attacks, where an attacker amplifies the signal to fool the lock into thinking the phone is nearby. The U400 instead uses ultra-wideband time-of-flight measurements: it calculates actual physical distance from signal travel time rather than inferring proximity from signal strength. There is no option for a relay attack because distance cannot be faked by amplification. It is more secure than Bluetooth, and the security argument is structural rather than procedural.
Aliro: the other interoperability story
Less discussed but arguably more important long-term: the U400 supports Aliro, the smart lock industry’s cross-platform standard for mobile access credentials. Aliro lets a lock be unlocked with a smartphone regardless of operating system — the lock industry’s answer to the same fragmentation problem Matter solved for the rest of the home.
The pairing of Matter-over-Thread (for device control and automation) with Aliro (for the access credential itself) is the template worth watching. Matter gets the lock into Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa simultaneously; Aliro ensures the phone-as-key works across iOS and Android without vendor-specific wallet integrations.
The full feature list
Beyond the futuristic entry methods, the U400 covers the conventional ones: fingerprint via an integrated sensor, NFC, a physical key, and an access code keypad. One-time and time-specific codes can be issued to guests, the lock can be set to auto-lock after a user-specified period, and a dedicated Passage mode keeps the door unlocked for a stretch — or permanently — when desired. Since hands-free unlocking can trigger accidentally, the auto-lock behavior is the sensible backstop.
Power comes from a removable 4,880 mAh battery charged over USB-C, rated for up to six months per charge — a welcome shift from the replaceable batteries in several earlier Aqara locks. Exterior components carry IP65 water and dust resistance for outdoor exposure. It ships in Silver and Black, replaces a standard deadbolt, and includes the necessary installation hardware.
What you need to run it
Since the lock is Matter and Thread enabled, it connects to HomeKit and appears in the Home app, works in automations alongside other smart home devices, and responds to Siri voice commands. It also works with the Aqara app and can pair with an Aqara hub — but thanks to Matter, no Aqara hub is required for full functionality. What is required: a Thread Border Router and a Matter controller. For the Apple ecosystem, an Apple TV 4K or HomePod mini serves as the home hub.
Why it matters
The U400 is a convergence device in the truest sense: UWB for secure ranging, Aliro for credential interoperability, Matter-over-Thread for platform interoperability, all in a deadbolt replacement. Each of those standards exists to kill a different kind of lock-in. If 2026 is remembered as the year the smart lock stopped being a gadget and started being infrastructure, launches like this are why.