Lockin Unveils Optical-Charging Smart Lock at CES, Promising a Lifetime of Power Without Batteries

LAS VEGAS — At a show dominated by incremental upgrades, Lockin used CES 2026 to draw a hard line between novelty and category reset. On January 4, the company debuted the V7 Max, which it calls the world’s first vein-recognition smart lock powered entirely by wireless optical charging—removing batteries, recharging rituals, and solar dependence from the equation altogether.

The V7 Max, which earned a CES 2026 Innovation Awards® Best of Innovation distinction, introduces Lockin’s proprietary AuraCharge™ technology, delivering continuous, eye-safe optical power wirelessly from up to four meters away. The result, according to the company, is a smart lock with effectively infinite power and zero maintenance, regardless of weather conditions, ambient light, or installation location.

Battery failure remains the single most common point of friction in the smart lock market. Competing products typically rely on disposable batteries, lithium-ion rechargeables, or solar-assisted systems—each with trade-offs in longevity, reliability, and maintenance. Lockin positions AuraCharge™ as a fourth-generation power solution that eliminates those constraints. The system uses a uniform optical beam and is certified to dual safety standards from TÜV Rheinland and SGS, producing no waste or consumables.

The lock also debuts LockinAI®, an on-device intelligence platform that supports 10 core use cases. These include theft prevention, delivery detection and management, customizable access behavior, and video indexing with keyword-based search, effectively turning the front door into an AI-enabled security node rather than a passive access point.

“While third-generation solutions like solar continue to improve, they still depend on environmental conditions,” said Bill Chen, founder and CEO of Lockin. “AuraCharge™ requires no light, no charging routines, and no battery replacements. It’s install-once technology that keeps working.”

Industrial design was another focal point. The V7 Max was designed by Hartmut Esslinger, Apple’s former chief designer, and features a notably slim 15mm front panel. The lock integrates dual high-definition exterior cameras with a panoramic field of view for video doorbell functionality, along with dual 5-inch touchscreens on both the interior and exterior sides of the door.

From a platform perspective, Lockin emphasized ecosystem compatibility. The V7 Max supports Google, Apple, Amazon, and Samsung smart home environments and connects via the Matter protocol, eliminating the need for proprietary hubs or bridges.

Live demonstrations of the V7 Max are underway at Lockin’s CES exhibit at the Venetian Expo, Booth 5271. The product is scheduled to open for preorder later in January, with shipments expected in early March. Lockin’s broader portfolio—including the new Aeon model and its bestselling Veno Pro vein-recognition lock—remains available through Amazon and Lockin’s direct-to-consumer channels.

Founded in 2014, Lockin has built its reputation around palm and vein recognition technologies, holding more than 500 core technology patents and serving over 42 million users globally. With the V7 Max, the company is making a clear bet that the next evolution of smart home security will be defined less by features and more by eliminating the need to think about power at all.