Apple and LG Are Reported to Be Building Seven Matter Accessories
FCC and UL filings point to a doorbell, three cameras, a floodlight cam, a deadbolt, a thermostat and a temperature sensor — designed jointly, sold under LG's brand, with Matter and Thread expected across several.
Bloomberg reported on 6 October that Apple and LG Electronics are jointly developing a range of smart home accessories, with the details surfacing through US FCC filings and UL Solutions records rather than through either company.
Seven products are identified: LG Video Doorbell Wired, LG Floodlight Cam, LG Outdoor Cam Plug-In, LG Indoor Cam Plug-In, LG Smart Deadbolt Lock, LG Smart Thermostat and LG Temperature Sensor. Matter and Thread support is expected across several of them alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, though which products use Matter over Thread and which use Matter over Wi-Fi is not yet clear. No model numbers or prices have been published.
The commercial shape is the notable part. Per the reporting, the products are jointly developed but sold under the LG brand, with LG responsible for manufacturing and customer support. That is a different arrangement from HomeKit licensing, where Apple set requirements and accessory makers built to them independently. It also puts Matter and Thread radios into a volume appliance maker's catalogue rather than a boutique accessory line, which changes the unit economics of the category.
Timing suggests the point of it. The accessories are intended to complement Apple's smart home hub, expected to be unveiled on 13 October alongside an updated HomePod mini and a new Apple TV. A seven-SKU accessory range arriving with a new hub resets what competing vendors are expected to offer around it. Separate reporting indicates Apple is still developing its own security camera despite the partnership.
One procedural detail is worth keeping in mind generally: FCC and UL filings were the leak channel here, and they usually are. Radio certification paperwork is the earliest reliable signal of which transport a device actually uses, which makes it more informative than a press release that says "Matter support" without specifying over what.