Smart lock companies have spent 2024 crafting nifty ways for you to gain entry into your home, including iPhone-tapping Home Key options from Aqara, a palm scanner from Philips, keypad and fingerprint smart locks from August, and even a Face ID-style one from Lockly. These all sound pretty futuristic already... but do they feel like magic?Im talking magic like how my cars driver door unlocks without me needing to do or touch anything other than pulling on the handle. Im talking about smart home locks that see me approaching and take action so I dont have to pause and interact with anything when I really just need to run inside to use the bathroom.You dont even need to take out your phone to unlock UWB-capable smart locks. Image: UltraloqLuckily, at CES 2025, many smart lock makers are poised to launch models that offer touchless passive entry support. That means you wont need to take extra steps like pulling out an RFID fob from your pocket or smacking your Apple Watch against a pad to unlock your door. (Thats so last year!)One of the most promising locks from the show is Schlages new Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt, which comes equipped with an ultra wideband (UWB) chip that will sense your paired smartphones trajectory and motion to know when to trigger an unlock for you.RelatedSchlage isnt the first to announce UWB in a smart lock; that credit goes to U-tecs Ultraloq Bolt Mission, which was revealed last year. The Ultraloq was announced with a lack of support for the newAliro smart access standard backed by Google, Apple, Samsung, and others (meaning no Apple Home hands-free unlocking support).Now, the Bolt Mission is here at CES with a Q1 2025 launch timeframe, a $399 price tag, and a promise that Aliro and Apple Home hands-free are coming. Theres also the Lockly Secure Pro, which promises Apples touchless feature, costs $379.99, and will arrive in Q4. While itll still be a while before a lot of these devices are on the market, the UWB-powered smart lock options are clearly arriving soon.Schlages Sense Pro debuted at CES 2025 and supports hands-free unlocking. Image: SchlageOf course, plenty of companies are still sticking to other unlock technologies instead of UWB. That includes palm scanner locks such as TP-Links Tapo PalmKey and TCLs Smart Lock D1 Pro, both of which claim they use AI to scan for vein patterns in your hand. Meanwhile, others, like the Lockly Styla, are just here to look nice. Heck, if youd rather have everything but UWB, you can look at SwitchBots new Lock Ultra, which literally has 16 different hands-on-something unlocking methods. Smart lock makers are trying pretty much anything right now, including adding digital peepholes to deadbolts in the new Lockly Vision Prestige and TCL Smart Lock Ultra. But whats really missing from smart homes today is that new car feeling: where you finally drive off the lot no longer needing to think about age-old ideas like lock, unlock, and push to start. We still have to see these locks in action to see whether they can reliably and securely pull off their hands-free feat. But the opportunity is coming. I hope the smart lock companies have that transformative feeling in mind as they launch products with UWB this year.