IT News on October 7th: According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple is set to make a move into the smart home device market, which will include doorbells, thermostats, and other accessories. These products have been developed through an unusual collaboration with LG Electronics.
Insiders revealed that these products will be part of a unified device ecosystem, compatible with Apple's new smart home hub, and can also be used in conjunction with the upgraded HomePod and mini, as well as the new television set-top boxes. Apple plans to officially launch these new devices on October 13th.
As this collaboration project has not yet been made public, the relevant sources have requested to remain anonymous. According to them, the product list developed jointly with LG also includes smart door locks, indoor security cameras, outdoor security cameras, and floodlight cameras.
Although both companies participated in the development of the accessories, the final product will bear the LG brand, and it will be produced by this Korean company, which will also be responsible for subsequent technical support.
Apple has also adopted similar strategies in the past. The company has quietly collaborated with companies such as Belkin, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group, and Logitech International Inc. (Logitech International SA) to develop products, which are ultimately sold under the partners' own brands.
This model of cooperation with so-called third-party suppliers allows Apple to quickly expand its own device ecosystem without having to bear the high costs and complex affairs associated with mass production of accessories and after-sales service. Apple can also participate in controlling product design, customizing product features, and supervising engineering development, while keeping most of the related R&D work confidential.
The R&D progress of accessories here at LG lags behind that of Apple's self-developed devices, so it is expected that it will take at least several more months before these products can be made available to consumers.
In recent weeks, LG has successively submitted certification applications to regulatory authorities for this batch of devices, including the Federal Communications Commission of the United States and the product certification body UL Solutions. The databases of both agencies already contain the application materials, and some of the documents disclose the product names, specification parameters, functional descriptions, and engineering drawings of these components.
The products listed in the declaration include LG wired video doorbells, LG floodlight cameras, LG plug-in outdoor cameras, LG plug-in indoor cameras, LG smart locks, LG smart thermostats, and LG temperature sensors. LG The application requests that the actual product photos and more detailed information be kept confidential until the beginning of next year; there is no mention in these declaration documents of Apple's involvement in the development.
Most devices support both wireless networks and Bluetooth, and are also compatible with the Thread and Matter protocols. These are smart home communication protocols widely adopted by Apple and its competitors in recent years. This door lock also supports ultra-wideband technology (UWB), which allows the door lock to automatically unlock when a user approaches the door.
For Apple, this new home ecosystem and related devices mean that HomeKit is officially restarting. Apple launched the HomeKit platform in 2014, but compared to similar products from Amazon and Google under Alphabet, this platform has never been able to make a significant impact on the market.
It is reported that Apple hopes to revitalize its smart home business by relying on this batch of smart home hardware and the Siri artificial intelligence assistant. The company also plans to launch more self-developed products in the future: a home monitoring device that emphasizes privacy protection, a smart home hub version with a robotic arm attached to the screen, and a home security monitoring service.
LG's original core products were televisions and washing machines, and this batch of devices also represents the expansion of its smart home business. This product line marks the company's first introduction of indoor cameras in nearly a decade, as well as its first offerings of outdoor cameras, thermostats, floodlight cameras, and video doorbells in recent history; moreover, this smart lock is LG's first smart lock product to be sold outside of the Korean market.
Following this collaboration, Apple and LG will face more direct competition with Amazon Ring, which already holds a firm position in the smart home market, as well as Google Nest. The latter two manufacturers have long since launched a full range of similar devices that facilitate users in monitoring the conditions inside their residences as well as the areas surrounding their homes.
IT Home has noted that there has been a long-standing cooperative relationship between Apple and LG. The two were once competitors in the smartphone sector, but now several sister companies of LG Electronics have become important partners for Apple. LG indicates that LG Display supplies display screens for multiple Apple devices; Apple has also previously collaborated with LG Electronics to integrate its services into LG's televisions.
About a decade ago, Apple temporarily withdrew from the external monitor market. At that time, they also collaborated with LG to develop monitors to fit the laptop products of this smartphone manufacturer.
