Why Apple Is Finally Making Its Own Smart Home Devices
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Apple has launched the Apple Home Collection, a lineup of smart home devices co-developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, alongside its first smart display, HomeView. The move gives Apple customers a curated set of products while leaving its wider Matter and Works with Apple Home ecosystem in place; pricing starts at $200.

Apple has introduced the Apple Home Collection, a lineup of smart cameras, thermostats, sensors, a door lock and a video doorbell co-developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, alongside its first smart display, HomeView. The launch gives Apple customers a curated set of products for its home platform after years of relying on outside manufacturers, while the company says it will continue supporting third-party devices.

Apple’s senior vice president of product marketing for home, Kaiann Drance, told The Verge that the company moved into dedicated home hardware now because two technologies had matured: the Matter interoperability standard and AI features that make Siri more conversational. Drance said the combination made HomeView possible in a way Apple could not previously deliver. The report describes HomeView as a gateway intended to introduce customers to connected-home products through activities such as music, recipes and calendar access.

Apple is presenting the collection as a more straightforward option for people who do not know which smart home products to buy. Instead of assembling a system from many brands, customers can select from a shorter list developed to work with Apple Home. Drance said the partnership drew on LG’s consumer-products experience and Schneider Electric’s home-building and installation expertise, with Apple contributing design direction. Apple is also partnering with ADT through its retail stores to help customers install the devices.

According to the report, the products start at $200 and are managed through Apple Home, without requiring separate LG or Schneider accounts or apps. Drance said Apple designed setup to take one tap and said device data is end-to-end encrypted. The door lock, thermostats and sensors support Matter; the lock also supports Aliro and operates locally. All devices support Thread. The cameras use HomeKit Secure Video rather than Matter.

At a glance
reportWhen: Announced this week at Apple’s Welcome…
The developmentApple introduced its first branded smart home device lineup, co-developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, alongside its HomeView smart display.

A Curated Route Into Apple Home

The launch addresses a gap in Apple’s smart home strategy: the company has offered a platform but, until now, no branded collection of devices to recommend as a coordinated Apple experience. Amazon and Google have their own established home-device brands, while Apple users have generally had to choose among third-party products. A curated lineup could reduce the effort involved in choosing and setting up a system, though it does not remove the cost barrier: prices start at $200.

It also gives Apple a way to connect its existing hardware and services to more parts of a customer’s home. The report frames HomeView as the entry point, with connected cameras, locks and sensors as possible follow-on purchases. That is a commercial rationale, not proof that buyers will adopt the collection or that it will expand smart home use. Parks Associates president Elizabeth Parks told The Verge that Apple has a large, loyal user base, but the report also cites research showing that perceived lack of value is a major obstacle to smart device purchases, alongside privacy, security, complexity and price.

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Apple HomeView smart display

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From HomeKit to a Branded Line

Apple launched HomeKit in 2014, but for roughly 12 years its smart home offer depended on compatible products made by other companies. The company helped develop Matter, a shared standard meant to let devices work across different smart home platforms. The new collection therefore adds a recommended set of hardware without replacing the existing range of compatible products.

Drance told The Verge that Apple’s collection is not intended to narrow customer choice. She said third-party Matter products and devices labeled Works with Apple Home will remain supported. The distinction is between the broader marketplace, where customers choose products themselves, and Apple’s own curated set, where the company says the devices have deeper integration with Apple Home.

“With the magic of Siri AI, it comes together in a way that we haven’t been able to deliver before.”

— Kaiann Drance, Apple vice president of product marketing for home, speaking to The Verge

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Apple Home Collection smart home devices

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Camera Support and Adoption Questions

The report does not provide sales forecasts, expected customer uptake, or evidence that Apple’s curated approach will overcome concerns about price, privacy, security or complexity. It also does not establish whether the collection offers features unavailable from other Apple Home-compatible products; Drance described the main distinction as deeper integration and a more assured set of compatible devices.

The cameras’ use of HomeKit Secure Video rather than Matter leaves an interoperability question. The Verge noted that the devices’ Thread radios could point to hardware capable of broader support, but Apple did not announce Matter camera compatibility. The report suggests Apple may be waiting for the Matter camera standard to support encrypted uploads, but that explanation is speculation, not a confirmed company statement. The available material also does not specify a complete release schedule or availability in each market.

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Apple compatible smart door lock

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Availability and Matter Compatibility

The next developments to watch are the collection’s rollout, the final availability details for each product and whether Apple or its partners announce additional installation support. Customers will also be able to see how the promised one-tap setup and Apple Home integration work in practice once the products are available.

For the broader smart home market, a key question is whether Apple adds Matter support for its cameras if the standard gains the encrypted-upload capability described in the report. Apple has not confirmed that plan. The company’s stated position for now is that its curated devices will sit alongside, rather than replace, third-party Matter and Works with Apple Home products.

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Apple HomeKit Secure Video cameras

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Key Questions

What has Apple announced?

Apple introduced the Apple Home Collection, including cameras, thermostats, sensors, a smart lock and a video doorbell, alongside its first smart display, HomeView. The devices were co-developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric.

Why is Apple launching its own smart home devices now?

Apple executive Kaiann Drance told The Verge that Matter and advances in AI-enabled Siri helped make a dedicated home device possible. Apple also says the collection answers customer requests for guidance on which products to choose.

Will Apple stop supporting other smart home brands?

No such change was announced. Drance said Apple will continue supporting the broader Matter and Works with Apple Home ecosystem, so the collection is an additional curated option.

Do all the new devices support Matter?

No. The report says the lock, thermostats and sensors support Matter, while the cameras use HomeKit Secure Video instead. Apple has not announced Matter camera support for the collection.

How much do the products cost?

The report says prices start at $200. It does not give a full price list for every product in the collection.

Source: rss

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