Tech
Level's new smart lock now supports Alexa and not just HomeKit
But Google Home users are still out of luck.
Level makes beautiful, minimalist, easy-to-install smart locks that don’t look like smart locks. Some of them, like the Level Touch we reviewed at the end of last year, even include touch controls, but until now all of them have been plagued by the same shortcoming: limited ecosystem support.
Today the company has unveiled the Level Lock, its third and most compact lock, which is also $100 less than the touch variant at $249, but which — more importantly — introduces support for Amazon’s Alexa (the rest of the Level range now supports it, too). Sadly, though, Google Home users will have to continue to look on longingly.
Extremely subtle — Like its predecessors, the new Level Lock fits most conventional doors and doesn’t look like a smart lock, and like them, it comes in a range of finishes (matte black, satin nickel, satin chrome, and polished brass) designed to help it blend into the background rather than catch the eye.
“Smart home products are a frustrating trade-off, where consumers have to choose between technology or a thoughtful design,” John Martin, Level co-founder and CEO says. “With a timeless design and advanced technology packed under the surface, the Level Lock lets consumers have it all.”
Assuming “it all” doesn’t involve Google that is.
A good sign — Leaving our dismay about the continued lack of Google support aside, we love Level’s design, how easy its locks are to install, and how simple it is to share access with others... and we’re taking the addition of Alexa support retrospectively to existing products as a promising sign we may yet get the support we’ve been dreaming of for our Google Assistant-powered home.
We’re also hoping a future iteration of Level’s products will be able to tell us when we’ve left a door open, rather than simply locking even if the door isn’t shut. What can we say? We’re irrepressible optimists at heart. And one of our favorite things about high-tech products is the possibility their failings might one day be rectified by way of an update.