# Surprise! Facial recognition smart locks are actually good

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/surprise-facial-recognition-smart-locks-are-actually-good/
- Published: 2026-07-18T14:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-21T04:13:28+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/tech/967183/best-facial-recognition-smart-locks-review
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- Facial recognition smart locks let you in without a phone or key
- Reviewer tested four models priced between $199 and $350
- 3D infrared mapping prevents unlocking via a simple photo

## Summary

The Verge's smart home reviewer has tested facial recognition smart locks, a technology she previously dismissed as unnecessary, and found a genuine use case for it: unlocking your front door hands-free without needing to carry a phone or wearable. This matters because existing hands-free options, such as geofencing or ultrawideband (UWB) radio, either work unreliably or depend on a device being on your person, whereas facial recognition works even if you have left your phone indoors, such as when working in a garden or garage.

The review covers four commercially available locks: the £300 (roughly, converting from $300) Eufy FamiLock E40, the $350 Lockly Visage Zeno, the $199 Lockin Veno Solar Face, and the $230 Switchbot Lock Vision Pro, with a further model due to launch on Kickstarter next month. These locks use infrared sensors to build a three-dimensional map of the user's face, via methods such as structured light, stereo infrared cameras or time-of-flight sensing, meaning a photograph generally cannot fool them. While the reviewer still considers UWB-based unlocking the superior overall experience, she concludes facial recognition offers a viable, if more sci-fi, alternative for those who do not want their access tied to a specific device.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.