Ring's First Smart Lock Has a Hand-Powered Recharge Dial, and Five New Cameras Arrive
The lock goes on sale in the US in early 2027 and still needs FCC authorisation. Several outlets report a $249 price, though Amazon's announcement text does not list one.
Ring has announced its first smart lock, a keyless deadbolt with a built-in dial that lets you recharge the lock by hand when the battery dies. It goes on sale in the US in early 2027, and the company launched five new cameras on the same day (CEPro, Android Authority).
Ring's first smart lock
Ring, the Amazon-owned home security brand, revealed the lock on October 7. Amazon's announcement says it is designed to remove the need for a physical key and will be available in the US in early 2027, in black, silver or brass. Android Authority puts that at the first quarter of 2027, without a specific date. The announcement also says the lock has not yet received FCC authorisation and cannot be sold or leased until it does.
On price, 9to5Mac, Android Headlines, Android Authority and Germany's iFun all report $249, while CEPro says pricing was not announced and Amazon's announcement text does not list it. Treat $249 as likely but provisional until Ring opens orders.
The battery problem, answered with a crank
The headline feature targets the most common complaint about smart locks: a dead battery that leaves you outside. Ring's lock has a built-in power dial. 9to5Mac describes turning the thumbturn a few times to generate enough power to run the lock briefly, and Android Authority calls it a hand crank. Amazon's wording is that the dial lets you recharge the lock by hand if the battery dies.
Ring founder Jamie Siminoff framed the product as a break from carrying a key. In Amazon's announcement, he says "almost everything in our lives today is digital" while people still carry small pieces of metal in their pockets.
Four ways in, and Sidewalk instead of Wi-Fi
The lock offers a fingerprint reader, a backlit touchscreen keypad, the Ring app and Alexa as ways to open the door. The Ring app handles remote locking and status checks, and owners can decide who gets access, how and until when. Amazon's example is limiting a dog walker to a specific window of time.
The connectivity choice is unusual. Amazon says remote locking, status updates and PIN syncing run over Amazon Sidewalk rather than home Wi-Fi, while unlocking happens directly on the device. Sidewalk is Amazon's shared low-power network, and Amazon notes that coverage varies by location and can be interrupted. Buyers in areas with weak Sidewalk coverage should check before relying on the remote features.
The lock fits a standard single-cylinder deadbolt and needs no additional wiring. It works with Ring doorbells, cameras and alarms, and with voice control through Amazon Echo and Alexa. Lock activity appears in the Ring app feed.
Five new cameras
Ring also launched cameras that support what it calls the Retinal Vision 4K standard. They were available to pre-order or buy from October 7 at these US prices (iClarified):
| Camera | Key features | US price |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor Cam 4K Plus | 140-degree view; battery, plug-in, hardwired, solar or Power over Ethernet | $149.99 |
| Floodlight Cam 4K Plus | Floodlight, 24/7 recording, smart detection, hardwired | $219.99 |
| Spotlight Cam 4K Plus | 550-lumen spotlight, 140-degree view, battery, plug-in or solar | $199.99 |
| Indoor Cam 4K | Ring's first 4K indoor camera, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, 115-degree view | $99.99 |
| Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam 2K | 360-degree pan, motion following, privacy shutter | $69.99 |
| Smart Lock | Power dial, fingerprint, keypad, Sidewalk | $249 (reported), early 2027 |
Encryption and video descriptions
Amazon's announcement also covers software. A new default encryption called TAKE, short for Throw Away the Key Encryption, will roll out to all Ring customers worldwide. Ring Video Descriptions adds detailed alerts meant to help owners tell urgent activity from everyday movement. Amazon has not explained in detail how TAKE works, so the strength of the protection cannot yet be judged.
What it means for buyers
The lock does not ship until early 2027, and the FCC approval has to come first. For households already using Ring doorbells and cameras, the appeal is a single app and activity feed. For everyone else, it enters a crowded market against established lock makers.
The hand-powered recharge is the feature to test. Ring has not said how many turns are needed, how long the lock stays powered afterwards, or how the dial holds up over years of use. Relying on Sidewalk for remote commands is also a design choice reviewers will want to stress-test in homes at the edge of coverage.
What to watch next
Watch for Ring to confirm the price and release date, for FCC authorisation in the agency's database, for hands-on reviews of the power dial and fingerprint reader, and for detail on how TAKE encryption works.
