Apple’s new smart home lineup includes a smart lock, thermostat, and video doorbells
- ID
- 34804
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 13 Oct 2026, 9:37 PM
- Fetched
- 13 Oct 2026, 10:48 PM
- Provider
- TechCrunch
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/13/apples-new-smart-home-line-up-includes-a-smart-lock-thermostat-and-video-doorbells/
- Source URL
- https://techcrunch.com/feed/
Summary
- Score
- 2.5
- Created
- 13 Oct 2026, 10:49 PM
- Tags
- Audience
- developers
What happened
Apple announced the Apple Home Collection on October 13, 2026: a $349.95 smart deadbolt with ultra-wideband (UWB) proximity unlock, a $249.95 wired video doorbell, a $399.95 floodlight camera, plus a thermostat, temperature sensor, and indoor/outdoor cameras, all controlled through its new HomeView hub. Devices ship in December, and Apple built them with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric — a departure from its long-standing practice of building smart home accessories itself. The piece names no APIs, SDKs, developer program, or non-US pricing.
Why it matters
For this audience there is no decision to make from this item: no developer SDK, no HomeKit/Matter or third-party integration detail, no Malaysian pricing or availability, and no change to any tool a builder here ships. The one concrete, reusable data point is UWB-based auto-unlock at a $349.95 price point, useful only if you are evaluating proximity-triggered auth hardware — otherwise skip it this week.
Discussion angle
Apple partnering with LG and Schneider Electric instead of building these accessories itself — is that a one-off cost move or the start of a licensed-hardware model, and would you copy UWB proximity unlock as a pattern in your own auth flows?