Faster and smaller than ever

• Innovation at work: Smart Lock pioneer brings the benefits of brushless motors to Nuki Smart Lock users for the first time.
• Three times faster with a third of the size: Fifth generation comes with a built-in battery, three new speed modes, and an integrated premium cylinder.
• Next step already in development: New technology used in Smart Lock Ultra will soon be available to use without requiring a cylinder change.

As we all know, there are four years between each Olympic Games. Smart Lock pioneer Nuki has taken exactly the same amount of time to further develop the fifth generation electronic door locks. A leap in innovation which has generated several superlatives: The new Smart Lock Ultra is the fastest, smallest, and most powerful electronic door lock developed by Nuki. Co-founder and CEO Martin Pansy states: "We deliberately took our time to work on innovation. We wanted to take our electronic door lock to the next level. Holding it now in my hand, I can see it was all worth it: Smart Lock Ultra highlights maximum innovation, all contained in a minimal size.”

The centerpiece in terms of innovation is the newly developed motor. Nuki is thus once again living up to its reputation as an innovator in smart home and smart lock technology: Exactly one year ago, Nuki proved its pioneering spirit by releasing the world’s first smart lock with native Matter support – now it's the brushless motor.

"This technology and its advantages in terms of efficiency and longevity have so far been known primarily in electric vehicles. We are now using a brushless motor in one of our smart locks for the first time." explains Jürgen Pansy, Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Nuki. The company did not want to compromise on speed or design during development. From the outset, the aim was to achieve the fastest speed with the smallest possible size in combination with performance and energy efficiency.

The result speaks for itself: Nuki Ultra is three times faster – and only a third of the size of previous generations. In addition, users can now choose between three locking modes tailored to their personal requirements: "Insane" (locking and unlocking in less than 1.5 seconds), "Standard" (locking and unlocking in 2 seconds), "Gentle" (reduced noise at a lower speed – all for double lock actions).

Speaking of compromises: The Austrian company didn't want to make any compromises when it came to recognisability either. "In terms of design, it was important for us that you could still clearly see that it is a Nuki Smart Lock, despite the significant reduction in size", emphasizes CEO Martin Pansy. This is achieved with the iconic LED indicator at the front of the product. What is new, however, are two base rings in both black and white for every lock, complementing the high-quality stainless steel look: You no longer have to choose one or the other when buying, and can switch at any time.

The decision between alkaline batteries or a rechargeable power pack is also history: Ultra is powered by a built-in lithium polymer battery. This ensures that the new Smart Lock is fully charged in around two hours and is supplied with power for months. In addition, a magnetic charging port and cable have been developed to enable a safe and easy on-door charging experience. The two meter long cable makes finding a power outlet in range a non-issue.

Switching from a previous Nuki model to Ultra is also extremely simple. This is thanks to a new data migration flow: Device configurations, feature settings, access permissions, and connections from older Nuki Smart Locks can be transferred effortlessly in the app. According to Martin Pansy, this is a new function that has been introduced specifically for existing customers: "We have hundreds of thousands of users who will be switching to new devices in the coming years. This had to be made as simple as possible."

Not only has the Smart Lock itself been further developed, but also the Universal Cylinder specially designed for Nuki Smart Locks. Nuki Ultra is shipped with a new premium Universal Cylinder of the highest security class, to offer the greatest degree of compatibility with different doors, and maximum physical security to users. For the first time with a Nuki Smart Lock, the cylinder must be replaced during installation. However, the installation takes less than 15 minutes and is supplemented with a visual step-by-step guide in the app. No drilling, no additional tools, and no technical know-how are required to replace the cylinder.

In the midst of all the innovations and improvements, it is important for CEO Martin Pansy to emphasize: “Everything that has always mattered to us as a company, and for our products, will remain so in the future.”

Like all previous Nuki Smart Locks, Ultra was designed in Austria and is manufactured in Europe. Opening an account is still not required for use. Nuki Ultra has integrated Wi-Fi and Matter-over-Thread capabilities. It is compatible with all Nuki accessories and enables convenient unlocking with fingerprints or entry codes. The app can be used to manage the lock, assign up to 200 personalized access permissions, activate smart features such as Auto Unlock or Night Mode, and much more. Like the previous generation, Smart Lock Ultra supports Matter, enabling seamless integration with a wide range of smart home systems such as Google Home, Apple Home, and Amazon Alexa.

But how does the company deal with the fact that the Smart Lock Ultra is the first smart lock from Nuki that requires a cylinder change? Nuki is aware that not every customer necessarily wants to replace their cylinder, or is able to do so due to the conditions of their door. This is why Chief Innovation Officer Jürgen Pansy concludes: “Around 30 percent of our customers already replace their cylinders in order to install a Nuki Smart Lock. And we are working hard to offer the remaining 70 percent a solution that offers them the latest Nuki technology built for Ultra, without having to replace their cylinder.”

Smart Lock Ultra with its integrated premium Universal Cylinder will be available at Nuki Shop and Nuki Pro Shop for 349 Euros, starting at the beginning of December. Pre-registration is already possible, also in the Nuki Shop. The new Universal Cylinder includes three physical keys and can be used for all Nuki Smart Locks from the second generation onwards and is also available as a stand-alone product at the unchanged price of 99 euros.