Apple and LG Are Building a Smart Home Lineup Together
Apple is working with LG on a jointly developed smart home lineup, according to Bloomberg reporting detailed on October 6, 2026. The report, titled "Apple's Smart Home Push Includes Doorbell, Lock, Thermostat Codeveloped With LG," follows Bloomberg's earlier scoop titled 'Apple Is Finally Ready to Enter Its Next Big Category'.
The first products reportedly include a video doorbell, a thermostat and an indoor camera. The plan also lists a deadbolt lock, an outdoor security camera and a floodlight camera. Taken together, it covers entry, outdoor monitoring and indoor climate. The Verge summarized the same Bloomberg findings on October 6.
The Apple-LG devices will reportedly carry LG branding and work with Apple's rumored smart home hub. Branding affects where buyers go for support, how devices are certified and where they are sold. The hub is the central piece.
Apple is developing a Siri-enabled smart home hub with a six-inch display for wall mounting or table placement, according to Bloomberg. The hub is code-named J490, according to Bloomberg News as cited by Reuters. The hub is expected at an event on October 13th. Apple is expected to introduce the hub later in October, alongside a possible new HomePod mini and an updated Apple TV.
Several devices will reportedly support Thread and Matter, two shared smart home standards, as Apple restarts its HomeKit platform. Thread is a low-power wireless network for devices to reach each other, while Matter lets products from different brands work together. Together they affect how devices pair, how they stay connected and whether a border router is needed to link networks. No further radio details were disclosed.
Bloomberg reported the door lock includes ultra-wideband, a short-range radio that measures distance precisely, to unlock automatically as a user approaches. The report does not give range limits, backup login methods or what happens if the signal drops.
For background, LG Electronics said it will show the next version of AI Home at IFA 2026 with improved contextual intelligence, according to LG Electronics. Mashable separately reported Apple is working on a smart home camera for launch in 2026. Those reports are separate from the October 6 co-development details and do not confirm ship dates.
In my view, the point to watch is not any one device but the control setup. If cameras, lock, thermostat and lights all run through one Siri hub and one HomeKit system, setup and video checks stay in one place instead of several apps. That approach will depend on reliable setup, solid Matter compatibility with routers and hubs people already own, and how much processing happens on the device rather than in the cloud. If hands-free unlocking, camera alerts and thermostat schedules work without reaching for a phone, it will be much easier to use. I have watched my own kids ignore any smart device that needed too much upkeep, and that test still applies here.
