Smart home news, reviews, and guides — making your home smarter.
Smart home news, reviews, and guides — making your home smarter.
Aqara has launched the Smart Lock U600, a Matter-over-Thread smart lock designed specifically for British multipoint doors, with Apple HomeKey, Samsung Wallet Key, and fingerprint unlocking. Priced at £229.99 and available now on Amazon UK, it fills a long-standing gap for UK Apple Home users who previously had to replace their door hardware.
Read MoreApple has officially launched the Apple Home Collection, its first full lineup of smart home accessories developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. The collection includes four security cameras, a video doorbell, a UWB smart deadbolt lock, and two smart thermostats, all managed in the Apple Home app with end-to-end encryption. Prices start at $39.95, with availability beginning in December and select items in early 2027.
Read MoreHome Assistant 2026.10 is out with a rebuilt OpenStreetMap-based map, a point-and-click trigger ID UI for easier automations, one-click MCP setup that turns your home into context for AI agents, smarter Matter leak-sensor and lock controls, and 15 new integrations. Home Assistant Cloud will be renamed Home Assistant Link in December.
Read MoreApple has reportedly teamed with LG on seven smart home devices — a video doorbell, smart lock, thermostat, cameras and sensors — all supporting Matter and Thread. Here is what Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says about the LG-branded lineup, the FCC filings, the slipped timeline, and what it means for Apple’s smart home push.
Read MorePhilips Hue is rolling out firmware 1.164.2 for its newest lights, adding Matter 1.4.1 support and a long-promised feature: Zigbee and Matter over Thread running at the same time. The update covers 2026 models plus late-2025 E27 and GU10 bulbs, so you no longer have to choose between the Hue Bridge and a direct Thread connection. Here’s what the concurrency update changes for your smart lighting setup.
Read MoreFCC filings have revealed seven LG-branded smart home devices co-developed with Apple, led by the LG Smart Deadbolt Lock with ultra-wideband — LG’s first smart lock sold outside South Korea.
Read MoreAqara has launched in Canadian Tire stores nationwide, bringing its smart home lineup to over 500 locations starting October 9. The debut covers five Matter-compatible devices — sensors, a smart lock, and security cameras — that work with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings. Here’s what the partnership means for Canadian smart home shoppers.
Read MoreOnvis has released an outdoor smart plug built on Matter over Thread, with real-time energy monitoring, IP65 weather resistance, and an 1800W rating. The plug works natively with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings with no vendor hub required, making it one of the most practical Matter accessory launches of the season.
Read MoreLeaked iOS 27.2 code shows Schneider Electric joining LG in Apple’s new ‘second-party’ Home accessories program, with a smart thermostat and temperature/humidity sensor that get special HomeKit treatment. Here’s what the leak reveals and what it means for the October 13 ‘Welcome home’ event.
Read MoreApple’s rumored “second-party” smart home accessories from LG and Schneider Electric may feature a HomeKit-exclusive tap-to-set-up shortcut that begins pairing over NFC before the device is even powered on. The October 8 leak, based on iOS 27 code and LG device firmware, suggests tap-to-pair credentials would be staged in the accessory’s secure element, with the home hub completing Matter setup automatically.
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