Apple and LG Are Making Door Locks and Cameras. Here Is Why

Apple may be about to put a smart lock on your front door, and it does not want its name on it.

Bloomberg reports that Apple is working with LG on a new line of smart home gadgets. The devices will carry the LG brand, even though both companies helped build them. Neither company has confirmed it.

What are they building?

Public filings list an LG video doorbell, a smart thermostat, a smart deadbolt lock and several cameras. The lock is said to use ultra-wideband, a short-range signal that can unlock the door as you walk up. The gadgets are meant to work with Apple’s upcoming smart home hub, which has a six-inch screen and is reported to launch on October 13.

Why did Apple pick LG?

Apple plans it, LG does the hard work

Apple helped direct the design and engineering, while LG will handle manufacturing and ongoing service. Apple has used this plan before with Belkin and Logitech. It also worked with LG on the UltraFine display.

Here is my view. Locks and cameras bring repairs, complaints and privacy worries. With LG’s name on the box, Apple gets into the home without carrying all of that. That is analysis, not confirmed fact.

Who is Apple chasing?

Amazon and Google got into homes first

The obvious targets are Amazon’s Ring and Google’s Nest. Apple is also reportedly preparing a “formal reboot” of HomeKit, its smart home system. New hardware would give that system something real to sell.

One detail does not fit yet. Older rumors said Apple would build its own doorbell and cameras, and it is not clear whether these LG products are the same ones. LG’s filings do not mention Apple, and it could be early 2027 before LG is ready to launch. October 13 should show how much Apple is willing to say out loud.

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