Apple reportedly partners with LG on smart home hardware

Apple is working on a new ecosystem of smart home devices in partnership with LG, Bloomberg has reported. The lineup includes a smart lock, a thermostat, and a doorbell, all designed to integrate with Apple’s own smart home hub — another unreleased product that is reportedly set to launch on October 13. That hub is expected to include a 6-inch square display that can sit on a countertop or mount on a wall.

The two companies are also reportedly working on a slate of security cameras, including indoor and outdoor models, as well as a floodlight. The LG-made devices are expected to be announced, if not formally released, next week as well. TechCrunch reached out to Apple for more information. Notably, the devices will reportedly carry the LG brand despite being developed jointly by both companies.

The move reads as a direct swipe at Amazon’s smart home lineup, which already includes a range of similar products, among them its Ring security cameras. It continues a broader pattern for Apple, which has used recent hardware releases to push into new device categories — with an expanded smart home presence now one of them.

Why it matters

If Apple ships a full smart home hardware lineup under a partner’s brand, it signals the company sees whole-home control as core infrastructure worth owning — even if LG’s name is what ends up on the box.