Apple’s smart home ambitions apparently run deeper than one partnership. Just days after reports revealed a co-development deal with LG Electronics for a new line of Apple Home accessories, code sleuth pdfu has found evidence that Schneider Electric is also in the mix — pointing to an entirely new “second-party” category of devices in Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem.
The leak: Schneider in Apple’s second-party product table
On October 7, pdfu reported that code in iOS 27.2 includes a _secondPartyProducts table in HomeKitMatter containing ten accessory IDs split between two brands. Six entries belong to LG and four to Schneider Electric. As 9to5Mac noted, the designation means these products receive special treatment from the operating system, including dedicated setup assets similar to the pairing animations users see when setting up a HomePod.
The Schneider entries in the table are:
- Thermostat TP (4190/17645) — the only Schneider entry with placeholder setup assets so far
- Thermostat QA variant (4190/17644)
- Temperature/Humidity Sensor (4190/17647)
- Unidentified accessory (4190/17648), possibly a sensor QA variant
The LG entries include a Smart Thermostat, a “GEMS” Smart Thermostat, a Smart Deadbolt Lock, a “GEMS” Smart Door Lock, and Temperature/Humidity Sensor variants in standard and “GEMS” versions.
Notably, the Schneider thermostat’s setup configuration mentions “Proximity Settings,” according to pdfu — an intriguing hint that close-range interactions may play a role in its configuration, though the exact meaning remains unclear.
What “second-party” actually means
The term is new to Apple’s smart home vocabulary. According to the reports, second-party accessories sit between first-party and third-party devices: they are built by partner companies, ship under the partner’s own brand rather than Apple’s, but are developed in close coordination with Apple and get privileged treatment in the operating system — including NFC-based pairing and custom setup flows in the Home app.
That reads as a meaningful step up from ordinary Matter support. Standard Matter-certified devices pair through the generic Matter onboarding flow; these second-party products instead get a tailored, Apple-style first-run experience.
The LG partnership: the template
The Schneider finding comes directly on the heels of Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reporting Apple’s “formal reboot” of its HomeKit ecosystem through a partnership with LG. Under that arrangement — described as a second-party development deal — Apple supplies the ecosystem, software, and product direction, while LG handles manufacturing, branding, sales, and support. Users buy LG products, but the experience is deeply integrated into Apple Home.
The reported LG lineup spans a wired video doorbell, a smart deadbolt lock, a smart thermostat, a temperature sensor, an indoor camera, an outdoor camera, and a floodlight camera. Regulatory filings identified seven LG products, and LG requested that photos and detailed specifications remain confidential until early 2027 — which points to a launch timeline at least a few months out. No launch date has been announced for the Schneider accessories.
Is Schneider a co-development deal too?
That’s the open question. The iOS code establishes that Schneider products carry the same second-party designation as LG’s, which strongly hints at a similarly close relationship. But as 9to5Mac cautioned, the code alone does not confirm that Apple worked with Schneider on product development the way it reportedly has with LG.
Context does make Schneider a plausible partner beyond a name in a database. Schneider Electric is a major player in energy management and building automation, with a North American headquarters in Boston — exactly the sort of expertise you’d want behind smart thermostats and climate sensors. Thermostats are also the natural second front of Apple’s home push: they are always-on, deeply integrated into daily routines, and a category where Apple’s HomeKit presence has lagged competitors like Google Nest and ecobee.
Why Apple is farming out hardware
For Apple, the strategy is pragmatic. The company has historically been slow in the smart home market, with HomeKit long playing catch-up to Alexa and Google Home on accessory availability. Building an entire accessory line from scratch would take years; co-developing with established manufacturers like LG and Schneider lets Apple populate its ecosystem with credible devices on a compressed timeline, while keeping the software experience — setup, pairing, Siri AI integration — firmly under its control.
It also maps neatly onto Apple’s hardware roadmap. Apple has officially announced its “Welcome home” event for October 13, where it is expected to unveil a new smart home hub (often called HomePad), a refreshed HomePod mini, and a new Apple TV 4K. Leaked LG images already show setup animations that the Home app requests during first-time accessory pairing, and these partner devices would give the new hub something to control on day one — even if the accessories themselves don’t reach shelves until 2027.
What to watch next
Three questions matter most. First, will Apple formally acknowledge the second-party program at the October 13 event, or let the hardware arrive quietly later? Second, does Schneider’s involvement confirm a multi-partner program — and if so, who else is on the list? Third, how far does the “special treatment” go: setup animations and NFC pairing are cosmetic, but deeper integration with the new home hub and Siri AI could be the real prize.
One way or another, the signal is clear: Apple no longer intends to fight the smart home battle with first-party hardware alone. A growing roster of second-party partners — LG first, Schneider now, likely more to come — suggests Apple wants the HomeKit ecosystem to look crowded well before its own hub ever ships.