Apple is developing smart home devices, including a front-door smart lock, a video doorbell and a thermostat, together with LG, Bloomberg reported on October 6 (U.S. time). Paired with a new home hub, the devices would bring everything from the front door to indoor temperature control into Apple's ecosystem.
LG has already had a UWB-equipped smart lock and a thermostat with a 60GHz-band radar appear in U.S. certification documents. But certification as a wireless device is a separate matter from supporting Apple's Home Key or recording features. What the products will actually look like depends on the hardware LG prepares and how far Apple's own features connect with it.
Three devices certified under LG's name
According to Bloomberg's exclusive report, the devices under development will be sold under the LG brand. In addition to a front-door smart lock and a video doorbell, they reportedly include a thermostat, indoor and outdoor security cameras, and a floodlight camera.
If Apple only added its own displays and speakers, the household equipment people actually operate would still have to come from elsewhere. By co-developing peripherals with LG, Apple could expand what users can do once a new home hub is installed.
Public Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification records confirm at least the following three devices. The applicant for all of them is LG Electronics. The dates in the table are based on FCC certification records, not on the date of the report or a release date.
| Device | Model | What the certification record shows |
|---|---|---|
| Smart lock | TMCDD15 | Certified September 23, 2026. Includes UWB, 13.56MHz-band and 2.4GHz-band radios |
| Thermostat | TMCTAW5W | First certified August 31, 2026. Includes a 61GHz-band radio in addition to Wi-Fi and others |
| Temperature sensor | TMST2A6W | Certified July 22, 2026. Includes a 2.4GHz-band radio |
The lock's UWB can be used to measure distance and positional relationship to the device a user carries. The thermostat's 61GHz band, on the other hand, is not necessarily meant for high-speed transfer of large amounts of data. The 60GHz radar test report LG submitted describes an FMCW radar, which continuously varies its frequency.
Uses such as detecting whether someone is present are conceivable, but the public documents do not establish what this product actually detects or how that information would be used for climate control.
The same test report also lists the power supply as 24V AC, 50/60Hz. That suggests it is not a device you can place anywhere in the home like an ordinary thermometer, but one likely to require combination with a home's HVAC equipment and wiring. Even if the presence of a 60GHz radar is confirmed, it may not be a device that works simply by plugging it into a typical Japanese household outlet.
The certification documents confirm that LG is developing these products. How deeply Apple is involved in development and how the products will be sold under the LG brand, however, rest for now on Bloomberg's report. FCC certification alone does not establish the terms of any agreement between the two companies or the final linked features.
The UWB lock combines authentication with location checks
LG's UWB lock does not simply open the door because a compatible device is nearby. The waiver order "DA 26-905", which the FCC published on August 27, describes a design that measures position after confirming that a device is eligible to use the key.
In the procedure LG explained to the FCC, the lock first receives the user's access credentials via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). After verifying that information with a cryptographic key, it starts UWB communication and ranging.
In other words, credential authentication confirms whether the person has authority to unlock, while UWB ranging confirms whether that person is actually in a position to open the door. Each plays a different role.
The conditions for continuing UWB ranging are also limited. Under the order's authorization conditions, the UWB session ends when unlocking is complete or when the user's device is judged to have entered the building. It also ends if the user moves out of the covered range.
This is the design LG presented to the FCC and the conditions of the waiver, not measured results of the probability of accidental unlocking in real homes or of resistance to attacks. Even so, it shows that behind the convenience of a door that opens as you approach, identity verification and location verification are meant to work together.
The waiver was needed because the UWB rules LG sought to rely on assume handheld devices in use and do not allow antennas fixed to the outside of buildings, for example. A smart lock fixed to a front door falls outside that assumption. The FCC reviewed the transmission conditions and installation method LG presented and granted an exception.
The authorization does come with conditions, however. Page 6 of the order limits sales to 400,000 units during the first three years after certification. During the same period, LG must also report each year on complaints about known radio interference and how they were handled.
The 400,000-unit cap is a condition on LG's UWB lock covered by the waiver in the United States. It is not a figure indicating worldwide production capacity or Apple's sales target. In thinking about commercialization, not only which wireless features a product has but also the conditions under which it can be sold matter.
Matter, Thread and Home Key each play a different role
Apple's developer materials for smart homes explain a setup in which devices are controlled through HomeKit and Matter, and a home network is built using Thread and other technologies.
It is worth noting that Matter, Thread, UWB, Home Key and HomeKit Secure Video are not the same kind of technology.
Matter is a common standard for getting devices to work together, Thread is a communications network, UWB measures position and distance, Home Key enables unlocking with Apple Wallet, and HomeKit Secure Video handles analysis and recording of camera footage. Each has a distinct role.
| Technology / feature | Main role | What needs separate confirmation for LG's new devices |
|---|---|---|
| Matter | Common standard for controlling devices across manufacturers and control environments | Matter certification, supported device types, Apple's implementation |
| Thread | Low-power IP mesh network | Which devices include it, how it connects to the home network |
| UWB | In LG's lock, measures distance and position relative to an authenticated device | Compatible devices, conditions for unlocking using ranging |
| Home Key | Unlocks compatible locks with a key stored in Apple Wallet | Whether the lock supports Home Key |
| HomeKit Secure Video | Analyzes video on a home hub and stores encrypted recordings in iCloud | Camera support, the home hub, the subscription required for recording |
The table organizes each role based on public materials from Apple, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) and the FCC as of October 7, 2026. It does not show that LG's new products support all of these features.
Matter, for example, is a standard that lets smart home devices from different manufacturers be controlled in a common way over networks such as Wi-Fi and Thread. Including a Thread radio and being certified as a Matter product are separate processes.
Apple also describes separate procedures: registration in the MFi Program for selling HomeKit accessories, and certification by the CSA for Matter accessories.
Home Key has its own support requirements as well. Apple explains that not every smart lock usable in the Home app supports Home Key.
Therefore, the fact that LG's smart lock has UWB and 13.56MHz-band radio features does not mean a key can be added to the iPhone's Wallet. How far the final product supports Apple's own features as a result of the collaboration is a point to check at the official announcement.
For cameras, recording and where data is stored matter more than the connection method
In Matter 1.5, published November 20, 2025, the CSA added camera support. Matter 1.5.1, on March 31, 2026, improved implementation for cameras and doorbells.
On the standards side, a foundation is taking shape for handling cameras and doorbells across multiple smart home environments without relying solely on manufacturers' proprietary systems.
Matter 1.5's camera features support video and audio streaming using WebRTC, and envision two-way communication and recording to both local and cloud storage.
But Matter's support for cameras is not the same as every smart home environment, such as Apple Home, being able to use all those features. This report alone does not reveal which Matter version LG's new cameras will support or how much Apple's side will be able to control.
How video is stored and protected is a further, separate question. According to Apple's camera setup materials, HomeKit Secure Video analyzes footage privately on a home hub such as an Apple TV 4K or HomePod and stores encrypted recordings in iCloud.
Using recording requires an iCloud+ subscription, and lets you review activity from the past 10 days. In other words, being able to add a camera to Apple's Home app is different from being able to use HomeKit Secure Video's encrypted recording.
The CSA FAQ also says Matter local connectivity can be used together with manufacturers' own cloud services.
For that reason, a label saying "Matter compatible" alone does not tell you where video and usage data are sent. In evaluating LG's cameras, it will be worth checking not only whether they support Apple's recording features but also which functions require an LG account or LG cloud service.
How to connect Apple's control environment with LG's home equipment
If co-development is progressing as Bloomberg reports, Apple could refine the usability of its home hub and voice control while using LG devices to expand the equipment that can be controlled at the entrance and indoors.
Bringing locks, doorbells, cameras and climate control into a single control environment takes more than providing a screen or speaker to operate them. Only when devices that can actually be installed in a home are paired with linked features a family can use without confusion does a dedicated home hub become much more meaningful.
Bloomberg also reports that Apple is expected to announce an updated HomePod mini and Apple TV, in addition to a new home hub, on October 13. This, however, is a report about plans for unannounced products and does not mean LG's peripherals will be announced or released the same day. Pricing, release plans in Japan and final supported features have not been confirmed.
For users in Japan, installation requirements for the home will matter as much as software features. For the smart lock, it must be confirmed whether it can be fitted to Japanese entrance doors; for the thermostat, whether it works with domestic HVAC equipment and wiring methods.
Beyond that, factors in the decision include how a lock can be opened from the iPhone or Apple Watch you already use, where camera footage is stored, and what subscription is needed for recording.
If those installation requirements and the linked features for locks, cameras and climate control come together, the Apple–LG collaboration could become a foothold for bringing a whole sequence of home actions into Apple's environment, from approaching the front door and unlocking it to checking on visitors and managing indoor temperature.