Kwikset (Finally) Brings the HomeKit with Premis Lock

Last year at CES, Kwikset was one of numerous companies announcing HomeKit compatible versions of its products. Most of the product companies we covered at the event delivered last year, but we started 2017 wondering where Kwikset’s Premis was and if we’d see it again at this year’s show. In fact we did…just one day after the lock hit the market online.

At this year’s CES, Kwikset showed off the new Premis, now available for purchase at Amazon.com. It’s virtually identical to its Z-Wave sibling, the Kwikset SmartCode 916, both in form and function. Like the 916, Premis sports a sleek, black touchpad; includes protections against smudge attacks; supports up to 30 customizable user entry codes; and includes Kwikset’s patented SmartKey re-keying technology, allowing you to use your existing Kwikset key without having to engage a locksmith.

The big difference in Premis is that it uses Bluetooth rather than a Z-Wave radio for connectivity, and it’s only compatible with iOS devices and Apple HomeKit—not any other ecosystem supporting Bluetooth locks, and not Android. While manufacturers’ marketing departments would have you believe that locking your doors with Siri is the killer feature of HomeKit, the real power lies in the ability to monitor and control your lock with the same app that manages your lights, blinds, and environment control. Of course, Kwikset provides its own app, too, for more complex capabilities like user code configuration and monitoring.

Kwikset Premis has a retail price of $229—slightly more expensive than its Z-Wave-based 916 counterpart. It is available in Satin Nickel and Venetian Bronze. Unlike its Z-Wave sibling, it is not also available in brass. Kwikset plans to release a contemporary-styled version of the lock at a later point, but there’s no word on additional finishes in Premis’s future.

So was getting into the HomeKit game a good move for Kwikset? If first days are any indication, it’s a pretty good bet. You won’t find it in brick and mortar retail stores just yet, but within the first 48 hours of being available at Amazon, Kwikset Premis was the top seller in its category, deadbolts—that’s all deadbolts, connected or otherwise. It remains there a month later, beating out August’s previous best-selling 1st-generation lock. It’s also available online from Best Buy and Home Depot.