Apple introduced the Home Collection, a set of smart home devices developed in partnership with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric, marking the technology company’s first foray into manufacturing its own hardware for the smart home market. The lineup includes cameras, thermostats, sensors, a smart door lock, and a video doorbell, alongside HomeView, Apple’s inaugural smart display device. The move comes after HomeKit, Apple’s smart home ecosystem, has remained less developed compared to competitors like Amazon and Google, which have established their own hardware brands through Ring and Nest respectively.
According to Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of product marketing for home, two technological developments enabled this shift: the establishment of Matter, an open interoperable smart home standard that Apple helped create, and advances in artificial intelligence that improved the Siri voice assistant. These foundations allowed Apple to develop a dedicated smart display that integrates conversational AI capabilities. The company positions HomeView as a gateway product, with the expectation that users who adopt one device may subsequently purchase complementary products like cameras or smart locks.
Apple identified consumer concerns beyond just cost as barriers to smart home adoption, including privacy worries, security concerns, and perceived complexity. The Home Collection addresses these through simplified one-tap setup, end-to-end encryption, and a unified app experience requiring no separate accounts. Elizabeth Parks, president of Parks Associates, noted that Apple’s established customer loyalty and large user base provide significant competitive advantages in this market.
The company framed the Home Collection as a curated alternative to its existing open ecosystem approach, comparing it to a chef’s selection rather than a buffet of options. Most devices in the lineup support Matter and Thread standards, though cameras use Apple’s proprietary HomeKit Secure Video rather than the open standard. Apple emphasized that the Home Collection complements rather than replaces its broader third-party hardware ecosystem, with continued commitment to expanding device options through Matter compatibility.
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