Sony Gets More Experimental with Qrio Smart Lock

Sony_Qrio_Smart_Lock_2Amidst all the troubles at Sony Pictures and the financial woes at Sony Electronics, the once-dominant Japanese giant is looking to bring back the pioneering spirit that once defined the company. While Sony has publicly stated that PlayStation will now be a primary focus for them as they cut back their exposure in mobile and television, it doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to try things that are non-PlayStation. One such way is to fund smaller, more experimental projects with the help of crowd-funding.

Meet the Qrio smart lock from Sony.

Launched on Makuake, Japan’s equivalent to Kickstarter, the Qrio smart lock is Sony’s take on what’s already a crowded field. Unlike August ($249) or Goji ($299), Qrio aims to bring a more affordable smart lock solution with a 15,000 ($126) price tag. Sony even goes as far as to claim that Qrio can be installed with any tools. Like its competitors, Qrio allows you to leave your keys at home. Users can also share their key with other iOS (7+) and Android (4+) users.

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What makes this initiative interesting beyond the fact that Sony is using crowd-funding to gauge consumer interest is that the product actually contains no mention of Sony. In fact – no where on Makuake is Sony mentioned and for good reason. Much like companies in Silicon Valley that leave aside a budget for more experimental projects and initiatives, Sony CEO Kaz Hirai has kicked off a Seed Acceleration Program which he hopes can jump start the company’s creative juices. Due to that, the projects are treated as start ups with little direct weight from Sony.

If successful, let’s hope Sony can envision beyond a standalone product and see how they can truly integrate Qrio in the company’s massive array of products. Can you imagine if you could control Qrio natively from PS4/Vita and Sony’s smartphone and tablets in a more compelling way that just an app? I’m just dreaming but to be able to unlock the door from my couch with PS4 without the need to reach for something or have Qrio functionality built into the address book of Xperia Z3 to quickly send/redact invites would give a level of integration rarely seen outside of Apple’s fleet of products.

Discuss:

Are you interested in the Qrio smart lock?

[Via Makuake]