Apple Taps LG to Build a Doorbell, Lock and Cameras for the Smart Home
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Apple is pushing into the smart home, but not always under its own logo: According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is developing a whole range of connected home devices together with LG Electronics. The devices, however, are set to be sold under the LG brand.
Six Devices Under the LG Brand
According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the partnership covers a smart doorbell, a thermostat, a deadbolt lock and three cameras: one for indoors, one for outdoors and a floodlight camera. That puts the two companies squarely in the categories where Amazon’s Ring and Google’s Nest have set the tone for years. LG has already begun the regulatory approval process for the devices, though Apple’s involvement does not appear in the filings. The products could hit the market in early 2027.
This kind of arrangement is not entirely new for Apple. The company has co-developed accessories with other manufacturers before, such as LG’s UltraFine monitors, which were built specifically for Macs. For Apple, the approach has an advantage: It can extend its ecosystem to cameras and locks without having to stand behind hardware mounted on front doors and exterior walls itself. According to Bloomberg, it is still unclear whether the LG devices will replace the Apple cameras that have long been rumored.
Apple’s Own Hub Arrives on Tuesday
The LG devices are part of a broader push. Next Tuesday, Apple is reportedly set to unveil its own smart home hub, a device with a square display of about 6 inches that is expected to come in tabletop and wall-mounted versions. It can control lights, thermostats and locks, make video calls, play music and display photos. Facial and voice recognition are meant to deliver personalized information to each member of the household. Bloomberg previously reported a price of about $350 (roughly €310).
Apple is also expected to launch a new HomePod mini, its first update since 2020, and a new Apple TV, both with faster chips for A.I. features. For 2027, Apple is also planning a tabletop robot. According to an earlier Bloomberg report, the hub and the robot are to be built in Vietnam together with China’s BYD, which makes electronics in addition to electric cars. The move is meant to reduce Apple’s dependence on China for production.
LG Brings Its Own Smart Home Experience
For LG, the partnership is more than a contract manufacturing job. The South Korean company has been expanding its smart home business for years. In addition to its own ThinQ platform, LG acquired an 80 percent stake in Dutch company Athom, the maker of the Homey smart home hub, in 2024 for an estimated $61 million.
The competition, however, is well established. Amazon dominates the market for doorbells and security cameras with Ring and Blink, Google is strong in thermostats and cameras with Nest, and Samsung brings its devices together under SmartThings. Then there are specialized makers such as Aqara, Eve and Netatmo, which have long built devices for Apple’s Home app. Apple is now betting that its own hub and closely aligned partner devices will make its ecosystem more appealing than the competition’s individual pieces.
