Apple and LG built a doorbell, lock and thermostat together, Bloomberg says

Apple is working with LG Electronics on a video doorbell, a thermostat, a smart deadbolt lock and three security cameras, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The devices will carry the LG brand, not Apple’s.

The accessories will work with Apple’s new smart home hub, an upgraded HomePod mini and a new Apple TV box. Apple plans to introduce those on 13 October, according to people with knowledge of the matter cited by Bloomberg.

Their development has lagged behind Apple’s own devices. The LG products will not reach shops for at least a few more months. Spokespeople for Apple and LG declined to comment.

What the filings show

LG has sought approval for the devices from the US Federal Communications Commission and UL Solutions, a product certification company. The listings name the 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.

None of the filings mentions Apple. LG asked the regulators to keep photos and detailed specifications confidential until early next year.

Many of the devices support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread and Matter. The lock also has ultra-wideband (UWB), which lets it draw back the bolt as its owner walks up to the door.

LG will make the products and handle customer support. Apple can help shape their design and features and oversee the engineering, Bloomberg said. Apple has worked this way before with Belkin and Logitech, which sell the products under their own brands.

“The co-development strategy with LG is fairly unusual for Apple,” wrote Mark Gurman, the Bloomberg reporter behind the story, on X.

A reboot of HomeKit

For Apple, the lineup marks a formal reboot of HomeKit, the smart home platform it launched in 2014. HomeKit has gained little traction against Amazon and Google. The new devices would compete more directly with Amazon’s Ring and Google’s Nest.

Apple’s own hub has a roughly 6-inch square display and can sit on a counter or hang on a wall, Bloomberg reported last week. It puts Apple’s Siri AI at the centre of the home. Apple is also planning a privacy-focused home monitor and a hub with its screen on a robotic arm. It also plans an in-home security monitoring service. Gurman wrote on X that the LG cameras are separate from Apple’s own home camera, which is due next year.

For LG, the lineup includes its first indoor camera in nearly a decade. It will also be LG’s first smart lock sold outside South Korea. The two companies already work closely together. LG Display supplies screens for many Apple products, and LG’s smart TVs carry Apple’s services. Nearly a decade ago, they co-developed monitors for Apple’s laptops.