Apple is preparing a broader smart-home lineup that includes a video doorbell, thermostat, and other accessories co-developed with LG Electronics, according to Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman. The devices are meant to sit alongside Apple’s own upcoming hardware: a new smart-home hub, an upgraded HomePod mini, and a refreshed TV set-top box. Those Apple products are set to be introduced on October 13th, Gurman reported, citing people familiar with the plans. The LG-linked accessories are running behind that schedule and are not expected to reach buyers for at least a few more months. Beyond the doorbell and thermostat, the partnership covers a smart deadbolt lock, an indoor security camera, an outdoor security camera, and a floodlight camera, the people said. Even though Apple and LG worked on the products together, they will carry the LG brand. LG is handling manufacturing and product support, while Apple is shaping design, features, and engineering. Gurman described the arrangement as part of a pattern Apple has used with “second-party” suppliers, including Foxconn’s Belkin and Logitech, in which products developed with Apple ship under another company’s name. The approach lets Apple expand an ecosystem without taking on the full cost of making and supporting a wide accessory line. Recent regulatory filings have already surfaced product names. LG has sought approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and UL Solutions for items labeled 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. LG asked that photos and more precise details stay confidential until early next year. The filings do not mention Apple. Many of the devices support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, and Matter. The lock also includes ultra-wideband, which can enable automatic unlocking as an authorized user approaches the door, according to the report. For Apple, the push is a formal reboot of HomeKit, the platform it launched in 2014 that has lagged Amazon and Google. The company is counting on the new devices and Siri AI to revive the category. Gurman has also reported that Apple is planning further home products of its own, including a privacy-focused home-monitoring device, a hub variant that mounts the screen on a robotic arm, and an in-home security monitoring service. For LG, better known for TVs and appliances, the lineup is a rare expansion into connected security and climate control: its first indoor camera in nearly a decade, and its first recent outdoor camera, thermostat, floodlight camera, and doorbell. It would also be LG’s first smart lock sold outside South Korea. That puts both companies closer to Amazon’s Ring and Google’s Nest. Apple and LG declined to comment, Gurman reported. The two have a long history — LG Display supplies screens for many Apple products, Apple has integrated services into LG TVs, and nearly a decade ago Apple co-developed external monitors with LG after briefly leaving that market. And, now, a blast from the past: LG is the former “Lucky GoldStar,” as it was known in the United States before rebranding to “LG.” In other words: for years, they made some of the world’s worst craptronics; so bad, in fact, that they had to change their name. – MacDailyNews, December 18, 2007 Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon. The post Apple and LG co-develop doorbell, lock, and thermostat for smart-home push appeared first on MacDailyNews. You're currently a free subscriber to MacDailyNews. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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