Main trade-off
Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
Apple home keys and Apple Home cannot be added through a firmware setting or separate hub.
Head-to-head
Schlage BE489WB CAM 619 vs Schlage BE499WB CAM 619: Plus adds Apple home keys, ordinary app and code entry fit both
The short answer
Choose Encode for code, key and Schlage app access without an Apple requirement. Choose Encode Plus for Apple home keys or Apple Home, with the hub needed for the household features you intend to use.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
Two Apple users change the equipment list
If two people want their own home keys, Encode Plus is the relevant lock, but Schlage also requires an Apple home hub for multiple keys or shared tap access. Standard Encode cannot gain that feature by adding a hub later.
What this is based on
Schlage distinguishes one initial home key from multiple home keys and shared tap access. Its current support guidance requires an Apple home hub for the latter. BE489 has no Apple home key support.
Main trade-off
Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
Shared Apple home keys and Apple remote automation introduce a home hub requirement.
Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Choose it for
- Use guest codes and remote Schlage app control without an Apple Home requirement
- Keep the purchase focused on features shared by both models
- Main trade-off
- Apple home keys and Apple Home cannot be added through a firmware setting or separate hub.
Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Choose it for
- Tap a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch to enter
- Use Apple Home and include its required home hub in the setup plan
- Main trade-off
- Shared Apple home keys and Apple remote automation introduce a home hub requirement.
About this comparison
Compare Schlage Encode BE489WB with Encode Plus BE499WB for Apple home keys, shared guest codes, Apple home hub requirements and standard door fit.
The extra hardware in Encode Plus changes Apple access. It does not add code capacity or enlarge the documented standard door-thickness range.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Tap an iPhone or Apple Watch at the door
Only Encode Plus supports Apple home keys on compatible devices.
- Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Not suitable
- Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Better fit
Give Android and iPhone visitors separate PINs
Both support up to 100 codes, and the visitor enters the code at the touchscreen.
- Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Similar
- Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Similar
Manage the lock remotely in Schlage Home without a hub
Both use built-in Wi-Fi for Schlage app remote access. Home network configuration still matters.
- Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Similar
- Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Similar
Give two residents separate Apple home keys
Plus supports the feature, while Schlage requires an Apple home hub for multiple keys or shared tap access.
- Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Not suitable
- Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Depends
Install the standard package on a two-inch door
Both standard ranges end at 1.75 inches. Verify an exact approved solution before buying either.
- Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Not suitable
- Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- Not suitable
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
Two Apple users change the equipment list
If two people want their own home keys, Encode Plus is the relevant lock, but Schlage also requires an Apple home hub for multiple keys or shared tap access. Standard Encode cannot gain that feature by adding a hub later.
How we reached this conclusion
Schlage distinguishes one initial home key from multiple home keys and shared tap access. Its current support guidance requires an Apple home hub for the latter. BE489 has no Apple home key support.
A guest PIN does not depend on the guest owning Apple hardware
A visitor who will enter by code can use either model's 100-code capacity. Buying Encode Plus changes resident tap access and Apple integration, not the number of guest PINs. This keeps a mixed-phone household from treating Apple home keys as its only access route.
How we reached this conclusion
Both manufacturer product tables specify 100 codes and both support Schlage app management. A numeric code is entered at the lock, so the visitor's phone platform does not change that entry method.
Plus does not solve a two-inch door installation
A two-inch-thick door exceeds both published standard ranges by 0.25 inches. Neither should be bought as a standard fit for that door without a confirmed manufacturer-approved solution for the exact model.
How we reached this conclusion
Both current product specifications end at 1.75 inches. The example door is 2 inches, so 2 minus 1.75 is a 0.25-inch excess for both. No unverified thick-door accessory is assumed.
Choice A
Schlage, BE489WB CAM 619
Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
The documented door range is 1.375 to 1.75 inches thick. Entry options include keypad, phone.
- Best matched use
- Use guest codes and remote Schlage app control without an Apple Home requirement
Checked facts
- Tap-to-unlock home key: No Apple home key
- Apple Home integration: Not supported
- Home key sharing setup: No home key feature
- Schlage app access codes: Up to 100 codes
Choice B
Schlage, BE499WB CAM 619
Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
The documented door range is 1.375 to 1.75 inches thick. Entry options include home-key, keypad, phone.
- Best matched use
- Tap a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch to enter
Checked facts
- Tap-to-unlock home key: Apple home key on compatible iPhone or Apple Watch
- Apple Home integration: Supported
- Home key sharing setup: Apple home hub required for multiple home keys or shared tap access
- Schlage app access codes: Up to 100 codes
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim | Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tap-to-unlock home key | No Apple home key | Apple home key on compatible iPhone or Apple Watch | Plus adds a credential held in Apple Wallet. Android Schlage app access remains a separate method. |
| Apple Home integration | Not supported | Supported | Choose Plus if the lock must belong to Apple Home. Schlage documents a home hub for Apple remote control and automations. |
| Home key sharing setup | No home key feature | Apple home hub required for multiple home keys or shared tap access | A family buying Plus for several tap-to-unlock users should include the hub requirement in the purchase. |
| Schlage app access codes | Up to 100 codes | Up to 100 codes | Plus adds no PIN capacity. Either can give guests individual codes through the Schlage app. |
| Schlage app remote access | Built-in 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, no separate hub | Built-in 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, no separate hub | Do not confuse hub-free Schlage app control with the additional requirements of Apple Home features. |
| Standard door thickness | 1.375 to 1.75 inches | 1.375 to 1.75 inches | The standard fit is tied. A thicker door needs an exact manufacturer-approved solution rather than an assumption that Plus fits. |
| Physical entry and batteries | Touchscreen, key cylinder, four AA batteries | Touchscreen, key cylinder, four AA batteries | Standard Encode also has a touchscreen. Neither model supplies a fingerprint reader. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- It still has a touchscreen, so choosing standard Encode does not provide physical numeric buttons.
If you choose Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
- It has the same standard door range and PIN capacity as Encode, so those needs alone do not favor Plus.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
Apple home key or Apple Home integration is mandatory
Choose Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim. Encode Plus provides those features. Add the required hub for shared keys and Apple remote automations.
Only touchscreen PINs and Schlage app remote control are needed
Choose Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim. Standard Encode already supplies those functions with the same 100-code capacity.
A two-inch door must work with the standard package
Choose neither. Both publish a 1.75-inch maximum for their standard installation.
What matters in practice
How to make the call
Choose the resident's everyday credential
If residents want to tap a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch, Encode Plus supplies Apple home keys. Standard Encode still provides the shared basics of touchscreen PINs, a physical key and Schlage app control. An Android-only household can use either through Schlage, but does not gain Apple Wallet entry by choosing Plus.
Budget for the Apple setup you will actually use
Built-in Wi-Fi makes Schlage app remote control hub-free on both models. Schlage's current support instructions separately require an Apple home hub for sharing home key access, multiple home keys, Apple Home remote control and automations. A household buying Plus for several residents should resolve that equipment before installation.
Do not use the Plus name as a fit or capacity upgrade
Both standard packages cover doors from 1.375 to 1.75 inches and publish 100 access codes. Both also have a touchscreen. Choose by the Apple access requirement after the door passes its preparation checks. For a two-inch door, obtain an exact approved solution before ordering either model.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- No matched battery-runtime or unlock-latency test was available for these exact models.
- Apple feature and hub requirements can change, so review current support guidance during setup.
- The standard door range is not a claim that every thicker-door accessory works with either model.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current smart locks comparison, followed by the checked facts used to reach them.
See the checked facts and calculation notes
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim |
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| Schlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim |
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Ready to choose?
Check the price. Read the owner reviews.
Open either model on Amazon to check the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Schlage Encode Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
Use guest codes and remote Schlage app control without an Apple Home requirement
See price & reviews on AmazonSchlage Encode Plus Smart WiFi Deadbolt with Camelot trim
Tap a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch to enter
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