Apple has introduced the Apple Home Collection, a set of smart home devices it co-developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The lineup includes security cameras, a video doorbell, a door lock, and two thermostats, and is designed to work seamlessly with the Apple Home platform. The announcement came at Apple's Welcome Home event in New York City, where the company also showed the new Apple TV 4K and the HomePod Mini 2. The collection represents Apple's first smart home gadgets made for Apple Home, though third parties manufactured them.
Apple says the focus of the collection was easy setup, reliable daily use, and data privacy. All products work through the Apple Home app with no third-party apps or accounts required, and Apple says pairing works like a HomePod or AirPods by tapping an iPhone, which recognizes the device using Bluetooth and NFC. The accessories are managed by Apple products such as an iPhone or a device acting as an Apple Home Hub, and Apple says communication is end-to-end encrypted. The devices share a simple, clean design in black or silver with some white touches.
The LG smart lock costs $349 and supports Apple Home Key, including hands-free unlocking via UWB that opens the door automatically when a phone or watch is in a pocket or bag. It also has a keypad for PIN entry and a physical keyhole hidden under the rotating keypad. It is a full replacement for a US-style deadbolt, uses Matter-over-Thread, and supports the Aliro smart lock standard. It ships in black and silver housing with a black front and arrives in the US and Canada in December.
The $249 video doorbell has two cameras, one facing visitors and one pointing down at packages, both supporting up to 2.5K resolution. It includes a motion-activated light that illuminates the floor, needs to be wired into existing doorbell wiring, and can ring HomePods as a chime. It supports HomeKit Secure Video for smart notifications covering Familiar Faces, pets, packages, and vehicles, with footage processed locally on an Apple Home Hub and sent to the cloud encrypted. Availability is set for the US, Canada, and the UK, but no release date has been given.
An indoor camera costs $199 and records up to 2.5K resolution with HomeKit Secure Video support, and its signature feature is automatic up-and-down movement so it can tilt down when someone arrives home. The wired outdoor camera comes in two models, one without lights at $299 and one with motion-activated floodlights at $399, both supporting up to 2.5K resolution and HomeKit Secure Video. All three cameras will be sold in the US, Canada, and the UK without an announced release date, and all work with Apple's HomeView smart display, which can show up to nine live feeds.
Apple also announced two $199 smart thermostats, a round LG model and a square Schneider Electric model, designed for North American HVAC systems and able to work with or without a C-wire. They will be available in the US and Canada starting in December and support Matter, so they can work with other smart home ecosystems, with each including remote sensors for temperature and humidity. The launch fills a gap for Apple, which previously relied on third parties for Apple Home products, while Amazon with Ring and Google with Nest already offer their own lines.
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