In the past two years, the smart lock industry has been incredibly hot. So hot that virtually every brand and company you can think of wants a piece of the pie. While some are thriving and others are struggling, the enthusiasm of major players entering the smart lock market remains undiminished.

      In March 2018, Smartisan released its Youdian smart lock;
      in June 2018, Jingzao launched its own brand of smart locks;
      in August 2018, Lenovo released the Lecoo R1 smart fingerprint lock, manufactured by a well-known company in the industry;
      on September 25, 2018, Suning launched its first smart lock;
      on October 23, 2018, NetEase launched the NetEase Smart Manufacturing Obsidian smart lock;
      on October 29, 2018, 360 launched the 360 ​​Youth Edition smart lock; and
      on November 6, 2018, TCL partnered with XXX Technology.

       With the entry of cross-industry enterprises and giants, the smart lock market was booming and presented a thriving scene. However, with the influx of capital, the escalating impact of the "Tesla incident," and companies' misjudgments of the smart lock market and unsuccessful promotion, many companies felt a sudden chill in the springtime smart lock industry. They couldn't help but exclaim: "The reshuffling of the smart lock industry has arrived ahead of schedule."

        Why has the smart lock industry attracted so many companies from other sectors?
 
        The pain point of smart homes lies in smart security, and smart door locks, as entry-level security products, are undoubtedly crucial. Therefore, door locks have become a highly competitive area for manufacturers. While smart locks may not be the true entry point to smart homes, compared to smart kitchens, smart appliances, and smart curtains, which are often praised but not commercially successful, smart door locks, as a frequently used and essential product, have strong user loyalty and are easier to implement.

Is making a good smart lock really that easy?
 
       The smart lock industry involves numerous specialized fields. Those who make mechanical locks may not be able to make good electronic components, and electronics and home appliance companies with advantages in electronics may not be able to make good mechanical components. Companies that can excel in both electronics and mechanics are extremely rare. Smart locks involve more than 20 disciplines and fields, including electronics, communications, surface treatment, materials, machining, network security, and biometrics. Integrating all these fields simultaneously while ensuring stability is not something that can be done in a short time.