Apple unveils six smart home devices with LG and Schneider Electric
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
New details reveal the prices and features of six devices in Apple’s Home Collection, developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The products broaden Apple’s smart home range across door access, security and heating, and can be controlled through its new Siri AI-enabled HomeView display or other Apple products.
The range includes an LG smart lock for $349, which supports hands-free Apple Home Key unlocking, PIN entry and a physical key. LG’s $249 video doorbell has two cameras recording at up to 2.5K, while an indoor camera costs $199 and wired outdoor cameras cost $299 or $399 with floodlights. LG and Schneider Electric thermostats each cost $199 and support Matter.
- Apple has revealed prices and features for six new smart home devices.
- LG’s lock costs $349 and supports hands-free Home Key unlocking.
- HomeView is the Siri-enabled display for controlling the collection.
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Smart home devices connect household equipment to an app or central screen, letting people control things such as locks, cameras and heating. They can also provide alerts or video when someone approaches a door or enters an area.
Apple makes phones, computers and other consumer technology, while LG Electronics and Schneider Electric make home appliances and electrical equipment. The Matter standard is designed to help smart home products from different manufacturers work together, though compatibility can depend on the devices and services involved.
These products matter to people considering how to manage home security and energy use, and whether new equipment will fit with what they already own. A central display can bring controls together, while cameras and connected locks may also raise questions about privacy and access to household data.
Full account
Apple has introduced six smart-home devices developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, expanding its Home Collection. The products comprise a smart lock, a video doorbell, three cameras and two thermostats; the companies’ announcement comes as Apple seeks to make its Home app and connected devices more competitive in a market led by established platforms such as Amazon Echo and Google Home.
LG’s $349 smart lock supports Apple Home Key and can be opened hands-free using ultra-wideband, or with a PIN or the physical key. LG’s $249 video doorbell has two cameras, recording at up to 2.5K resolution, and a motion-activated light. The camera arrangement is intended to show both visitors and parcels left at the entrance.
The camera range also includes a $199 plug-in indoor model, which records at up to 2.5K and can move automatically, including turning downwards when someone returns home. The wired outdoor camera comes in two versions: a $399 model with motion-triggered floodlights and a $299 version without them. The thermostats comprise a round LG model and a square Schneider Electric one; both cost $199 and support Matter, the smart-home interoperability standard.
The accessories are managed through Apple’s Home app. The broader smart-home push also includes HomeView, a separate hub with a seven-inch screen and facial recognition that can be mounted on a wall or placed on a table. It is due to start shipping next month, with availability reported from 13 November, and features an upgraded Siri. Apple says the assistant can use context from personal apps such as Messages and Calendar while keeping that information private. HomeView will not be sold in the European Union, where Apple says Siri’s AI features are unavailable under current regulations.
Where outlets differ
The first report focuses on the six accessories, their design and individual prices. The second places them in the context of Apple’s wider smart-home strategy and gives more attention to HomeView, Siri, the launch timing and the EU sales exclusion.
The first report calls the thermostats Matter-compatible and specifies their shapes and prices; the second identifies Schneider Electric’s thermostat but does not give those details. Conversely, the second describes the HomeView hub and its availability, subjects not covered in the first report.
The second report says the launch includes six accessories, though its listed categories amount to a lock, a doorbell, indoor and outdoor cameras, a floodlight camera and a thermostat. The first gives the fuller product breakdown, including two outdoor-camera versions and thermostats from both LG and Schneider Electric.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Hands-on with the Apple Home Collection”.