Ring’s first smart lock ditches the key and adds a dial to revive a dead battery

What happened

The new $249 deadbolt from Amazon's Ring is due to ship early next year, featuring a small dial that can be cranked to revive a dead battery. The Amazon-owned company on Wednesday announced its first smart lock , a $249 deadbolt with no keyhole and a dial that recharges a dead battery by hand.

Ring founder and chief inventor Jamie Siminoff tells GeekWire he worked out the idea at night using Amazon's AI tools. (Ring Image) Ring is moving from the doorbell to the deadbolt.

Jamie Siminoff, Ring’s founder and chief inventor, said the dial solves the problem that has kept smart locks from catching on the way video doorbells have: when the battery dies, the owner can be locked out. That’s why many smart locks still come with a key.

Key facts

• The Amazon-owned company on Wednesday — announced: its first smart lock , a $249 deadbolt with no keyhole and a dial that recharges a dead battery by hand