LG Electronics is joining hands with Apple to target the LG Apple AI Home market, combining LG’s manufacturing capabilities with Apple’s platform ecosystem across seven jointly developed IoT devices, including doorlocks and cameras.
LG Electronics announced on the 13th (local time) that it held a new product launch event with Apple in Manhattan, New York. The newly unveiled products include an indoor camera, two outdoor cameras, a doorbell, a doorlock, a thermostat, and a temperature sensor, with both companies closely cooperating from the initial product conception stage.
Apple has historically expanded its smart device ecosystem by leveraging external brands such as Belkin and Logitech. This time, the products are manufactured by LG Electronics and sold under the LG brand, with an initial release planned for North America, including the US and Canada, and the UK within the year.
LG Electronics aims to expand its AI home ecosystem. By adding new IoT products to its existing AI appliances, AI home hub ‘ThinQ On’, and platform ‘ThinQ’, the company plans to strengthen home management functions and broaden customer touchpoints by integrating with Apple’s ecosystem, which boasts over 2.5 billion active devices worldwide.
Meanwhile, Apple can expand its smart home product lineup while reducing the burden of directly manufacturing and managing various peripherals. Bloomberg analyzed that this collaboration signals LG’s smart home business expansion while providing Apple with an opportunity to reorganize its smart home business, which had lagged behind Amazon and Google.
The new products will integrate with both LG ThinQ and Apple devices. Users can connect with iPhones and iPads with a single touch, check device status, or control them remotely. Device usage history is stored as personalized data in the cloud.
Automatic control tailored to user movements is another key feature. The thermostat links with iPhones and Apple Watches to analyze user movement, time zones, and weather to adjust heating and cooling. Information collected by space-specific sensors is also utilized for total home climate control. The doorlock uses multiple sensors to detect movement and entry intent, unlocking automatically without manual operation while alerting users to door openings, tampering attempts, or unauthorized entry.
Cameras detect anomalies both inside and outside the home. Outdoor cameras and doorbells distinguish between people, animals, vehicles, and deliveries to send appropriate alerts, while indoor cameras detect baby cries or breaking glass to deliver customized notifications. Security is powered by LG Electronics’ security solution ‘LG Shield’ and Apple’s data encryption technology.
Kihyun Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of LG Electronics HS Platform Business Center, stated, “We will provide a safe and intuitive AI home experience by combining LG Electronics’ expertise in appliances and home spaces, Apple’s unrivaled user experience, and both companies’ powerful security capabilities.”
