Apple recently introduced a handful of new smart home products, including its first smart panel, the HomeView; a new HomePod Mini; an Apple TV 4K; and a complete Home Collection with nine smart home devices. Starting at $40 for smart sensors and up to $400 for security cameras, the Apple Home Collection isn’t exactly budget-friendly, but could it still be right for renters?
As a homeowner with a mix of smart home ecosystems (including Apple Home), I often wonder about the audience companies want to target with these types of devices. I was a renter myself, and I know how creative you have to be with your smart home setup, given the landlord and lease restrictions.
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Good for renters: LG’s indoor cam
The LG Indoor Cam is a pan/tilt security camera that looks very different from comparable options, and has a unique privacy feature. Unlike most indoor cameras, which require you to either manually enable privacy mode or set a schedule for it, Apple’s Home app automatically turns it off when you get home. Although Apple does not specify exactly what triggers this action, it is likely that it occurs based on the location and proximity of an iPhone.
There’s no question that, at $200, the LG Indoor Cam is expensive. There are other indoor cameras available with privacy features, even if they go into privacy mode on a schedule, that are much more affordable and offer better features, including the $60 Anker Eufy E220, the $140 Anker Eufy S350, and the $99 Aqara Camera Hub G3.
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The camera itself is attractive and non-descript, resembling a tabletop lamp and breaking away from the usual pan/tilt form factor. It’s great for renters because you don’t have to mount it on a wall (although you can if that’s an option). It also supports AI video search and, with built-in storage, can continue recording during Wi-Fi outages.
Good for renters: LG Outdoor Cam
Apple/ZDNETThe LG Outdoor Cam from the Apple Home Collection can work for renters because it’s a plug-in camera; there is no need to replace or replace existing lights, as you have to with the Floodlight Cam.
The outdoor cam plug-in supports 2.5K resolution, color and IR night vision, detection of people, pets, packages and vehicles, person recognition, and AI-powered video search and descriptions.
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This camera can be set up as a bullet camera or tilted downwards at an angle. Like Eufy and Reolink cameras, the LG Outdoor Cam can record without Wi-Fi, so you won’t lose important functions when the Wi-Fi is off.
At $300, the LG Outdoor Cam follows the same pricing pattern as the rest of Apple’s Home Collection. There are more affordable options, including the $60 Tapo MagCam and the Blink Outdoor 4, both of which are battery powered for easier installation and rental properties.
Not so great for renters
Some of the products below are not ideal for most tenants unless your lease terms are somewhat flexible. If you can get creative with setups, you can still use most of these products in a rental property, but I strongly suggest checking your lease before any installations.
I’ve compiled the remaining Apple Home Collection products with information about what makes them stand out, as well as price data, who they’re best suited for, why they might not be ideal for renters, and some renter-friendly alternatives:
| Apple Home Device | Price | Special features | Best suited for: | Disadvantage for tenants | Renter alternatives |
| LG Video Doorbell Wired | $250 | Two cameras for people and packages, integrations via Apple devices. | Busy homes, often online shoppers. | Cable installation, replacing existing doorbell. | Anker Eufy E340 ($120), Ring Battery Doorbell Plus ($180) |
| LG Floodlight Cam | $400 | Motion-activated lights, cable installation, color night vision. | Homeowners are looking to monitor driveways and dark entrances. | Cable installation, replacing existing lights. | Tapo C615F ($100), Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera ($100) |
| LG Smart Deadbolt | $350 | Automatically lock with UWB, detect door position, support guest access. | Families, keyless entry fans. | Must replace existing deadbolt; change the look of the door. | Nuki Smart Lock ($199), Aqara Retrofit U200 ($150) |
| LG & Schneider Smart Thermostat | $200/each | Use data from other Apple devices to automatically adjust HVAC without manual scheduling. | Apple Home users are looking for automatic climate control. | Must replace existing thermostat. | Sensibo Sky ($99), Sensibo Air Pro ($134) |
| LG & Schneider temperature sensor | $40/each | Keeping one in different rooms helps the smart thermostat make informed HVAC adjustments. | Homes with uneven heating and cooling. | Works with LG and Schneider smart thermostats. | SwitchBot Hub 2 ($60) |
FAQ
Who is Apple’s target audience for the Home Collection?
Apple appeals to loyalists with its Home Collection. The people who have already invested in the Apple ecosystem are the ones Apple wants to buy the Home Collection. If you already own an iPhone, Apple Watch, HomePod or an Apple TV device, you can manage new accessories from the same app without downloading a third-party application.
How secure are Apple’s smart home devices?
Apple ensures that most AI runs on-device for its new smart home products and that, if this is not possible, data only goes through private cloud computing. Apple ensures that the company does not gain access to your footage and emphasizes end-to-end encryption, as well as physical privacy features like those of the LG Indoor Cam.
Also: The new Apple TV 4K is always listening for ‘Hey Siri’ – is that a good thing?
With HomeKit Secure Video (HKSV), users enjoy smart detection, facial recognition, 10 days of recording history with an iCloud+ subscription (although this does not count towards your storage capacity), Apple Home integration with Siri AI descriptions, and local video analysis.
Which cameras are compatible with HKSV?
All new LG cameras in the Apple Home Collection are compatible with HKSV, but older cameras also support it. HKSV is not new or exclusive to LG cameras. You can also use it with certain Aqara, Eve, Logitech, Eufy, and Netatmo cameras.
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