Apple and LG Partner on Smart Home Gear Including Doorbell and Lock

Apple and LG Partner on Smart Home Gear Including Doorbell and Lock

Apple Inc. Is preparing a major push into the connected home market through a partnership with LG Electronics Inc. To develop a broad suite of smart home accessories. According to reports from Bloomberg, the collaboration will yield a video doorbell, a smart deadbolt lock, a smart thermostat, an indoor security camera, an outdoor security camera, and a floodlight camera. The hardware is slated to be announced around October 13, alongside Apple’s own proprietary hardware releases, which include a new smart home hub featuring a six-inch display for wall mounting or tabletop placement, a refreshed HomePod mini, and an updated Apple TV set-top box.

That timing sets up a formal overhaul of HomeKit, the platform Apple launched in 2014 that has struggled to gain market share against dominant offerings from Amazon.com Inc. And Alphabet Inc.’s Google. For Apple, the arrangement mimics a strategy previously used with partners like Belkin and Logitech. Apple helped direct design and engineering while leaving manufacturing and ongoing product service to its South Korean partner, allowing Cupertino to build out its ecosystem without taking on direct manufacturing or customer support costs.

Regulatory Filings and Shared Standards

Public databases and regulatory filings with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and UL Solutions confirm that LG recently sought approval for the new hardware lineup. The filings list products including the LG Video Doorbell Wired, LG Smart Thermostat, LG Smart Deadbolt Lock, LG Floodlight Cam, LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In, LG Indoor Cam Plug-In, and an LG Temperature Sensor. The filings make no mention of Apple, and the physical products will carry the LG brand.

The devices will support popular industry connectivity standards, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, and Matter. Furthermore, the LG smart lock is also set to feature ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, enabling automatic unlocking functionality as a user approaches. That technical integration bridges the gap between third-party manufacturing and Apple's own software protocols.

This division of labor shields Apple from manufacturing overhead while granting LG a rare avenue into categories it has largely avoided in recent history. The upcoming rollout marks LG's first indoor camera in nearly a decade, and its first outdoor camera, thermostat, floodlight camera and doorbell in recent history. It is also selling its first smart lock outside South Korea.

Staggered Releases and Manufacturing Realities

While Apple's own hardware announcements are set for October 13, the co-developed LG hardware is expected to reach retail shelves several months after Apple's October product lineup, as development has lagged slightly behind Apple's internal hardware.

Apple is reportedly partnering with LG to launch a smart lock, thermostat, and doorbell

TechCrunch

That lag highlights the friction inherent in second-party hardware partnerships. While Apple gains a formidable lineup to challenge Amazon and Google without building factories, LG takes on the commercial risk of manufacturing and customer support for a massive suite of connected home devices. Spokespeople for both Apple and LG declined to comment on the partnership.