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LG Electronics announced seven types of next-generation IoT devices co-developed with Apple in Manhattan, New York, on the 13th local time. The photo shows, clockwise from top left, an outdoor camera, an outdoor camera with floodlight, an indoor camera, a door lock, a doorbell, and a thermostat. / LG Electronics

LG Electronics has introduced next-generation Internet of Things (IoT) devices co-developed with Apple. The company plans to accelerate the expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) home ecosystem in earnest.

On the 14th, LG Electronics and Apple announced that they held a new product launch event in Manhattan, New York, the previous day local time. Attendees included Kwak Do-young, executive vice president and head of LG Electronics North America; Jeong Ki-hyun, executive vice president and head of the HS Platform Business Center; and Matthew Costello, vice president of hardware engineering at Apple.

The new offerings comprise seven products: an indoor camera, two outdoor cameras (with and without a floodlight), a doorbell, a door lock, a thermostat, and a temperature sensor. They are scheduled to launch first within this year in North America, including the U.S. and Canada, as well as the UK.

The new products work seamlessly not only with LG Electronics' AI home platform, LG ThinQ, but also with the Apple ecosystem. They connect easily to mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad, and device usage history is automatically stored in the cloud as personalized data for convenient management.

Looking at key features, the thermostat comprehensively analyzes user routines, times of day, and weather conditions via the iPhone or Apple Watch to adjust indoor heating and cooling to comfortable levels. Based on data collected by sensors from each room, it manages climate control throughout the entire home in an optimal state. The door lock, equipped with multiple sensors, detects subtle movements and analyzes entry intentions to unlock doors smoothly without requiring manual operation.

Vision AI technology is applied to camera-equipped devices, such as indoor and outdoor cameras and doorbells, allowing users to intuitively monitor conditions inside and outside the home. The indoor camera not only recognizes people and pets, but can also detect sounds such as a baby crying or glass breaking.

LG Electronics emphasized that security would also be top-tier. LG Electronics stated, "Rigorous privacy protection capabilities have been achieved based on the highest level of security technology from both companies." It added, "To thoroughly protect customers' sensitive daily data, we will apply LG Electronics' security solution, LG Shield, alongside Apple's robust data encryption technology to minimize the risk of hacking or data breaches."

Through these new products, LG Electronics plans to substantially strengthen its IoT device lineup—a core component of the AI home—and further expand an ecosystem spanning its hub ThinQ On and platform ThinQ. The strategy is to broaden the reach of the AI home by organically integrating with Apple's platform, which encompasses more than 2.5 billion active devices.

Jeong Ki-hyun, head of the HS Platform Business Center at LG Electronics, said, "By combining LG Electronics' expertise in home appliances and living spaces with Apple's unrivaled user experience and the strong security capabilities of both companies, we will deliver a safe and intuitive AI home experience."

                                                                                                               Choi In-gyu