This week in 30 seconds: Samsung Wallet now unlocks Aliro-compatible smart locks — your phone is officially a house key. The Ecovacs X11 Pro dropped $500 to $999. And yes, smart locks still work when your WiFi goes down. Here's everything that mattered.
🔥 Big Story: Samsung Wallet Can Unlock Your Front Door
Samsung Wallet now supports Aliro — the smart lock protocol built by the same team behind Matter and Thread. If you have a compatible lock and a Galaxy phone, tapping your phone to your front door just... opens it. No app, no fumbling for keys, no Bluetooth pairing dance.
This is bigger than it sounds. Aliro is the first universal standard for access control, which means we're moving toward a world where your phone, your watch, and your keycard all work on the same lock — regardless of brand. Apple added Aliro support to Home Key last year, and now Samsung is in. The two biggest phone ecosystems both speaking the same lock language is exactly the kind of interoperability Matter promised but has been slow to deliver.
If you've been on the fence about smart locks, 2026 is shaping up to be the year to jump in. Our smart door lock guide covers the top-rated Aliro-compatible models, including the Yale Assure Lock 2 (pictured) and Schlage Encode Plus. If you're also thinking about a full access control setup — keypads, garage doors, the whole deal — check our smart access control guide.
Sources: The Verge, CNET, Digital Trends
📦 New Products & Updates Worth Watching
Ecovacs Deebot X11 Pro — $500 Off Is Hard to Ignore
Tom's Guide and TechRadar both flagged this deal: the Ecovacs Deebot X11 Pro with its OmniCyclone suction is one of the most capable robot vacuums we've tracked. At $999 (down from $1,499), it's entering "seriously consider it" territory. The Roborock Saros 10R is still our top pick in our robot vacuum guide, but the X11 Pro is a strong contender at this price.
Petlibro's AI Health Monitoring for Cats
Wirecutter flagged Petlibro using AI to analyze eating patterns and flag early signs of health issues in cats. It's still early, but the idea of your smart feeder texting you "hey, Whiskers has been eating 30% less this week" before you'd even notice is exactly the kind of ambient intelligence smart home should deliver. We cover smart pet feeders and cameras in our pet care monitoring guide — the Furbo 360 Dog Camera remains our top pick there.
Ring Camera Privacy Bounty
ZDNet reported on a cash bounty program challenging security researchers to prove whether Ring cameras share data with Amazon. Whatever the outcome, it's a healthy push for transparency. If privacy is your top concern, our doorbell guide recommends the Eufy Video Doorbell S220 — local-only storage, no cloud required. For outdoor cameras specifically, see our night vision camera guide where the TP-Link Tapo MagCam leads with a 9.0/10 consensus score.
Sources: Tom's Guide, TechRadar, Wirecutter, ZDNet
💰 Deal of the Week
Ecovacs Deebot X11 Pro OmniCyclone — $999 (was $1,499, save $500)
This is a premium robot vacuum-mop with auto-empty, auto-refill, and hot water mop washing. At full price it's hard to justify over the Roborock Saros 10R ($1,000, pictured), but at $999 it's basically the same price with arguably better mopping. Worth a look if you've been waiting for a price drop — see how all the top models compare in our robot vacuum & mop guide.
📬 Like getting deals first? Subscribe to our newsletter — we send deal alerts before they hit the roundup.
🧪 Expert Review Tracker
- Wirecutter updated their smart smoke detector picks — our smoke detector guide covers the top-rated options including the Nest Protect with consensus scores from 6+ sources.
- TechRadar published new floodlight camera rankings — see how they stack up against our picks in the security camera guide. The Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 has been climbing.
- The Verge covered Matter 1.5 improvements for smart home reliability — relevant if you're building a Thread-based setup. Our smart home hub guide has the latest recommendations for Matter-compatible hubs like the Samsung SmartThings Hub.
- Digital Trends published a power outage tech guide featuring smart home backup solutions — a topic we're adding to our content pipeline.
- PCMag refreshed their smart thermostat recommendations — our thermostat guide tracks consensus across all major reviewers, with the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium still on top.
Sources: Wirecutter, TechRadar, The Verge, Digital Trends, PCMag
📊 What We Published This Week
- NEW: Do You Actually Need a Smart Doorbell Camera in 2026? — 6 products reviewed with expert consensus from Wirecutter, CNET, and PCMag. The TP-Link Tapo D225 earned our "Must Buy" verdict at just $80.
- NEW: Best Outdoor Night Vision Security Cameras — 6 cameras tested for after-dark performance. The TP-Link Tapo MagCam leads at 9.0/10.
- IMPROVED: Rebuilt our content pipeline for faster guide production with real product images and YouTube video reviews embedded directly.
- ENRICHED: Added inline affiliate links across all 35 buying guides — every product mention now links directly to where you can buy it.
❓ Question of the Week
Can a smart lock work if my WiFi goes down?
Yes — and this is actually a common misconception. Most smart locks use Bluetooth as their primary connection to your phone, not WiFi. The Yale Assure Lock 2, Schlage Encode Plus, and August WiFi Smart Lock all unlock via Bluetooth when you're standing at the door — zero internet needed.
What you lose without WiFi is remote access — checking lock status from work or unlocking for a delivery person. If that matters to you, look for locks with Thread support (like the Yale Assure Lock 2), which maintain a mesh network connection through your Matter hub even when your router is down. We break down all of this in our smart door lock guide.
Building a complete smart home security setup? Our security systems guide covers how locks, cameras, and sensors work together — including what happens during power and internet outages.