Apple’s planned smart-home push appears to include a new class of partner-built accessories, not just products from LG. According to AppleInsider’s Wesley Hilliard, code tied to a “second-party” product table lists devices from both LG and Schneider Electric, with setup perks that go beyond ordinary Matter support.
Hilliard reports that the table, surfaced by code researcher pdfu, covers ten products so far. The LG entries include a smart thermostat, a GEMS smart thermostat, a smart deadbolt, a GEMS smart door lock, and temperature/humidity sensors in standard and GEMS versions. Schneider’s entries include two thermostat variants, a temperature/humidity sensor, and a fourth accessory that may be a sensor variant.
Those products are described as receiving special treatment in Apple’s software, including NFC pairing and a setup animation. The designation implies the devices are built with closer ties to Apple Home than typical third-party Matter gear, while still shipping under the partner’s brand rather than Apple’s.
That reading fits earlier reporting that Apple and LG co-developed a broader accessory set — cameras, a video doorbell, a floodlight camera, a lock, a thermostat, and sensors — with LG handling manufacturing and support. Those LG products have been tied to early 2027 availability, not an immediate launch.
Hilliard notes the Schneider entries do not by themselves prove a wide program, but they suggest the effort is larger than a single partner. The code is already appearing in current betas, which raises the chance Apple will outline the initiative at its October 13th event, expected to focus on a refreshed HomePod mini, an Apple TV update, and a new home hub. LG accessories are still expected later, so any announcement would likely mark the start of the program rather than immediate retail availability.
MacDailyNews Take: The approach echoes Apple’s earlier pattern of working with outside manufacturers on accessories it shapes, but does not sell under its own name. Unlike the original HomeKit model, which required special hardware and later relaxed into software and Matter/Thread compatibility, these “second-party” products look intended to expose more of Apple Home’s features without forcing users into a separate companion app for core controls.
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