Doorbell and Thermostat: Apple Has Developed "Smart Home" Devices with LG — Media Reports

Apple’s new strategy in the “smart home” segment will include a video doorbell, a thermostat, and other accessories developed by the iPhone maker as part of an unusual partnership with South Korea’s LG Electronics, — sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

According to their reports, these products will become part of an ecosystem of devices that work with Apple’s new home hub, as well as the updated HomePod mini and Apple’s new streaming media player—all of which are set to be unveiled on October 13, Bloomberg reports.

The products developed in collaboration with South Korea’s LG will also include a smart lock, home and outdoor security cameras, and a camera with a spotlight, sources said. Although the companies developed the accessories together, they will be sold under the LG brand, according to the agency’s sources. According to their information, the South Korean company is responsible for manufacturing and supporting the new devices.

Apple shares rose a modest 0.16% in after-hours trading on October 6, while LG Electronics shares in South Korea fell more than 3%.

Bloomberg notes that the products developed by Apple in collaboration with LG are not expected to go on sale for at least a few months.

Representatives from Apple and LG declined to comment.

In recent weeks, LG has filed applications for device certification, including with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and UL Solutions, Bloomberg has learned. In the company’s applications, which the agency reviewed, the new products are listed under the names LG Video Doorbell Wired, LG Floodlight Cam, LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In, LG Indoor Cam Plug-In, LG Smart Deadbolt Lock, LG Smart Thermostat, and LG Temperature Sensor. LG has requested that the photos and detailed specifications remain confidential until early next year. The applications make no mention of Apple’s involvement in the development of these devices.

Many of the accessories support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, as well as the “smart home” protocols Thread and Matter, which Apple and its competitors have been using in recent years. The agency notes that the door lock will also feature ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity for automatic unlocking as the user approaches.

This isn't the first time Apple has used this kind of product development model, notes Bloomberg: the company has previously worked quietly with Belkin (a Foxconn subsidiary) and Logitech on devices sold under other brands. This allows the company to rapidly expand its ecosystem without shouldering the full costs of manufacturing and supporting accessories, the agency explains.

For Apple, the products developed in collaboration with LG—and, more broadly, a new ecosystem of home devices—will mark a formal relaunch of the HomeKit platform, introduced in 2014, which still lags significantly behind Amazon and Google’s solutions in terms of popularity, according to Bloomberg. For LG, best known for its TVs and washing machines, these devices will, in turn, serve as a way to expand its presence in the “smart home” market.

The new product line will also put Apple and the South Korean manufacturer in more direct competition with brands offering similar devices—Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest—which have already firmly established themselves in the market.

Apple and LG share a long history, as Bloomberg points out. The companies once competed in the smartphone market, but now Apple and several companies within the LG Group are key partners: LG Display supplies screens for many Apple devices, and Apple has worked with LG Electronics to integrate its services into LG TVs.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor