Andrew O’Hara and Dan Turk break down Apple’s newly confirmed smart home event on October 13, then dig into the bigger story: Apple’s long-awaited push into smart home hardware. They also cover Ring’s new smart lock and why it got overshadowed almost immediately by Apple’s announcements.
In this episode, Andrew and Dan focus on what Apple’s smart home strategy might look like, including new HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K, and smart display rumors, plus a new wave of LG and Schneider Electric accessories built for Apple Home.
Key topics
Apple has confirmed a smart home focused event or hands-on experience in New York on October 13, with no livestream expected
The rumored Apple lineup includes a new HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K, and a smart home display
Dan and Andrew discuss why Apple choosing a smaller in-person experience feels more like a hobby than a major category launch
Ring introduced its first smart lock, featuring a kinetic emergency backup knob meant to address battery anxiety
The hosts question whether smart lock battery failure is a real user problem or more of a perceived fear for non-users
Ring’s new lock surprisingly does not appear to include Matter support, despite Amazon’s public support for the standard
Apple’s smart home direction may emphasize reducing setup anxiety through a better commissioning experience, not just better devices
Bloomberg and code references point to Apple working with LG and Schneider Electric on a new line of Apple Home accessories
Reported devices include a doorbell, deadbolt, thermostat, environmental sensor, indoor camera, outdoor camera, and floodlight camera
The big Apple differentiator may be special NFC based setup and Home app commissioning that works better than standard Matter onboarding
LG devices may remove Matter’s offline NFC proxy flow and replace it with an Apple Home specific setup path
The hosts debate whether this strategy improves the smart home experience broadly or creates a premium tier only for Apple partnered hardware
Several of the new devices appear designed to support Thread, UWB, dual band Wi-Fi, and better cross device automation
The indoor camera may use a motorized pan or privacy mechanism, while the doorbell may include two cameras for better package visibility
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