Apple Is Finally Making a Doorbell — Here’s Everything Coming October 13

Apple has spent years watching Google and Amazon dominate the smart home. That’s reportedly about to change.

The company has officially confirmed a new event, and this time the invite itself gives away the theme. Here’s everything expected at Apple’s “Welcome Home” launch.

Core Highlights.

• Apple has officially confirmed a “Welcome Home” event for Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
• The headline product is expected to be Apple’s long-rumored smart home hub, reportedly called HomePad.
• A new Apple TV 4K and an updated HomePod mini are also expected to launch at the same event.
• Apple has partnered with LG to co-develop seven smart home accessories, carrying the LG brand name.
• The LG lineup reportedly includes a video doorbell, a smart deadbolt lock, a thermostat, a temperature sensor, and three security cameras.
• US regulatory filings have already confirmed real specifications for several of these devices.
• The smart thermostat is expected to include a 60 GHz radar sensor to detect whether someone is standing in front of it.
• This event arrives just two weeks before a separate, second October hardware event reportedly planned for October 27.

1. Why Apple Chose “Welcome Home” as the Theme.

Apple rarely picks an event name by accident. This time, the phrase itself all but confirms the direction before a single product gets revealed.

For years, rumors of a genuine Apple smart home push have circulated without a concrete event to anchor them. That changes now. Apple’s marketing chief, Greg Joswiak, has already teased the announcement. As a result, the branding leaves little doubt this is Apple’s biggest attempt yet to compete directly with Google Nest and Amazon’s Ring and Echo lineup.

2. The Star of the Show: Apple’s Rumored Home Hub.

The rumored HomePad is expected to sit at the center of Apple’s connected home.

The product generating the most anticipation is Apple’s long-discussed smart home hub, widely expected to be called HomePad. Think of it as a dedicated screen-and-speaker device built specifically to sit at the center of a connected home, rather than a repurposed iPad or HomePod.

Alongside the hub, Apple is also expected to refresh two existing products at the same event: a new Apple TV 4K and an updated HomePod mini. Together, they would round out a more complete, unified home ecosystem rather than standing as isolated announcements.

3. Why LG’s Name Matters Here.

LG builds, brands and supports the accessories, while Apple helped design them.

This is the part of the story that caught most people off guard. Rather than building every accessory itself, Apple has reportedly partnered with LG to co-develop a full range of smart home hardware, branded under LG’s own name rather than Apple’s.

That arrangement isn’t as unusual as it sounds. Apple has used similar “second-party” partnerships before, allowing another manufacturer’s hardware to integrate deeply with Apple’s software and ecosystem. In this case, LG’s devices are expected to work natively with HomeKit and the new Home hub, while LG handles manufacturing, branding, and customer support.

4. What’s Actually in the LG Lineup.

Seven LG-branded devices, all designed to plug into Apple’s Home ecosystem.

According to regulatory filings and reporting, the collaboration spans seven distinct devices. That includes a wired video doorbell, a smart deadbolt lock, a smart thermostat, a standalone temperature and humidity sensor, and three separate security cameras covering indoor, outdoor, and floodlight use cases.

The smart lock is reportedly built around a rotating keypad rather than a traditional button grid, with support for automatic unlocking as an authorized user approaches, tap-to-unlock functionality, and emergency backup power. The thermostat, meanwhile, is expected to include a round design with a far-sight display and a 60 GHz radar sensor capable of detecting whether someone is standing nearby.

5. The Technology Quietly Powering All of It.

Underneath the hardware, these devices reportedly share a common technical foundation. Several of them support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, and Matter. On top of that, the lock adds ultra-wideband, the same precise-location technology Apple already uses across the iPhone.

That shared foundation matters for everyday use. It should allow fast, local device communication, more reliable automatic unlocking based on your phone’s precise location, and tighter integration with Apple’s existing smart home software. In other words, these devices shouldn’t feel like they merely connect to HomeKit as an afterthought.

6. What This Means for Your Smart Home Decisions.

The LG accessories are expected a few months after the October 13 event.

If you’re currently shopping for a video doorbell, smart lock, or thermostat, this is genuinely worth pausing for. A coordinated Apple and LG lineup arriving within the Apple ecosystem could reshape which smart home brand makes the most sense for iPhone households specifically.

That said, retail availability isn’t expected immediately. Reporting suggests the LG hardware likely won’t hit stores for several more months even after the October 13 announcement. If you need a smart lock or thermostat right now, there’s no need to hold off purely because of this event. Existing HomeKit and Matter accessories aren’t going anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Apple announcing at the October 13 “Welcome Home” event?

Apple is expected to unveil a new smart home hub (reportedly called HomePad), an updated Apple TV 4K, a new HomePod mini, and a range of LG-branded smart home accessories co-developed with Apple.

What LG products is Apple reportedly involved with?

Reports and regulatory filings point to seven devices: a video doorbell, a smart deadbolt lock, a thermostat, a temperature sensor, and indoor, outdoor, and floodlight security cameras.

Will the new Apple and LG smart home devices be available immediately?

No. While the event is scheduled for October 13, reporting suggests the LG-branded hardware likely won’t reach retail shelves for several more months after the announcement.

Is this related to Apple’s rumored touchscreen MacBook event?

No, these are reportedly two separate events. The Welcome Home event is scheduled for October 13, while a second event featuring Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook Pro and OLED iPad mini is separately expected around October 27.

If you’re tracking Apple’s bigger October plans, you might also want to read our breakdown of the rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro and OLED iPad mini expected later this month.

Sources: Reporting based on 9to5Mac, Tom’s Guide, MacRumors, Macworld, and Technology.org, citing Bloomberg and US regulatory filings.