Philips gave a favorite LG smartphone gimmick a surprising new home

Philips Wi-Fi Palm Recognition Deadbolt.

What you need to know

• Philips Wi-Fi Palm Recognition Smart Deadbolt uses palm veins as a biometric method to unlock your front door.
• The deadbolt will automatically sense the presence of a hand near it, giving it hands-free operation.
• It'll be available in the first half of 2024 and will retail for $359.99.

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The LG G8 launched five years ago with palm recognition biometrics, a rather interesting form of user authentication that never caught on in the smartphone world. Philips is hoping that it makes a lot more sense in the world of the smart home, however, and is launching a new Wi-Fi deadbolt with a similar palm vein recognition sensor.

Available in the first half of 2024 and will retail for $359.99, the Philips Wi-Fi Palm Recognition Smart Deadbolt can be used on its own or paired with other Philips Home Access Smart Lock products throughout the home. Philips offers the deadbolt in matte black and satin nickle colors.

The palm vein recognition sensor is activated when a person holds their palm out toward the sensor. Each person's vein pattern is as different as a fingerprint or iris, which makes this a great way to accurately authenticate anyone attempting to enter your home.

(Image credit: Philips)

Biometric locks like this offer a more accessible way to unlock a home, as it's easier to use than a key or a number pad, yet, it's even more secure.

Some of the best smart locks can be used to retrofit smart features onto an existing deadbolt, but this new Philips deadbolt completely replaces your old deadbolt for something Philips says "provides unmatched levels of access control and convenience for US consumers."

Sensors on the deadbolt can also automatically unlock the door from the inside of the home when someone reaches toward it, keeping the deadbolt experience completely hands-free both inside and outside of the home.

Philips Wi-Fi Palm Recognition Smart Deadbolt uses Wi-Fi to connect to the Philips app or your favorite virtual assistant including Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Surprisingly, there's no support for Matter or Thread just yet.