Apple and LG Collaborate on Smart Doorbell and Lock Cameras
According to Bloomberg, Apple is collaborating with LG Electronics in a second-party partnership to jointly develop a series of smart home accessories to complement the upcoming home hub, described as a formal reboot of HomeKit. The products will be branded under LG, with LG responsible for manufacturing and after-sales, while Apple is involved in design, functional definition, and engineering oversight.
The list includes wired video doorbells, smart thermostats, smart deadbolts, temperature sensors, indoor cameras, outdoor cameras, and floodlight cameras. The names in regulatory documents are LG Video Doorbell Wired, LG Smart Thermostat, LG Smart Deadbolt Lock, LG Temperature Sensor, LG Indoor Cam Plug-In, LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In, and LG Floodlight Cam. Apple's name does not appear in the documents.
In recent weeks, LG submitted approvals to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and certification body UL Solutions. Multiple devices support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, and Matter. The deadbolt also features ultra-wideband, reportedly allowing it to unlock automatically when the user approaches the door. LG has requested that photos and more precise specifications remain confidential until early next year.
Apple's own product timeline is separate. Reports indicate that the home hub, upgraded HomePod mini, and new Apple TV are set to launch on October 13, with the hub available in both desktop and wall-mounted versions, featuring an approximately 6-inch square screen. LG accessories will take several more months to reach consumers. TechCrunch reported that these LG devices may be announced next week but may not necessarily be officially released. Apple has not responded to requests for comment.
These accessories are designed to work with the home hub, HomePod mini, and Apple TV. Bloomberg states that this second-party arrangement allows Apple to quickly fill gaps in its ecosystem without bearing the full production and after-sales costs of the accessories. The direct competitors are Amazon's Ring and Google's Nest. Apple's previous relationship with LG includes display panels, as well as the 4K and 5K UltraFine displays produced by LG when Apple did not sell its own monitors.
This arrangement allows the standard-setting party to externalize hardware costs, rather than Apple launching its own security product line. The buyer is Apple, which seeks to fill gaps in locks, doorbells, and cameras, while the seller is LG, handling manufacturing, certification, and after-sales. Financial and inventory pressures remain with LG, while the interfaces and home entry points are retained within Apple's hub. The beneficiaries are LG accessories that can integrate into Apple's home network. The pressure is on Ring and Nest, which already dominate the doorbell and lock market, as well as the collaborative products that will take months to launch.
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Apple's home hardware has never been fully developed in-house. When HomeKit was launched in 2014, it was a protocol, with locks, bulbs, and thermostats assigned to third parties. During the period when Apple did not sell its own displays, the 4K and 5K UltraFine were produced by LG and branded under LG, with Apple only defining the interfaces. The second-party model described by Bloomberg follows the same path: Apple defines design, functionality, and engineering, while LG handles branding, manufacturing, FCC and UL certification, and after-sales.
Capital does not enter Apple's inventory. The home hub, upgraded HomePod mini, and new Apple TV are reported to debut on October 13, while LG's doorbells, deadbolts, thermostats, temperature sensors, and three cameras will take months. The deadbolt's ultra-wideband uses existing near-field unlocking from the iPhone, while Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, and Matter are intended to connect with non-Apple devices already installed in homes. Apple is acquiring an entry point, not another factory.
The direct comparison is Amazon's acquisition of Ring in 2018 and Google's acquisition of Nest in 2014. Both companies have integrated doorbells, cameras, and thermostats into their own brands and cloud subscriptions. Apple has not pursued acquisitions but has left production complexities with LG. The industry phase has shifted from "Can phones act as remote controls?" to "Who occupies the daily entry points of locks, doorbells, and indoor cameras?" The hub is the screen, while the accessories are the sensors triggered daily.
Essentially, this is a restructuring of the supply chain. Apple retains pricing power over software and accounts, while offloading certification, inventory, and customer service costs to appliance manufacturers. LG exchanges branding for entry into Apple's default accessory space. Ring and Nest's subscriptions are built on their own hardware installation volumes. If locks and doorbells are already tied to Apple's hub upon entry, subsequent cloud services must pass through this layer, rather than requiring users to switch systems.
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- Entry points can be built in-house or outsourced.
- The brand may not dictate pricing power.
- Those who occupy the locks first will later sell subscriptions.