Apple may be considering announcing a new partnership with home security company ADT alongside the introduction of its all-new smart home hub, according to several clues. Apple invited media to a “Welcome home” experience in New York on Tuesday, October 13 so the partnership could be made official that day.
Since around July, ADT has posted job openings for “low voltage technician” in various U.S. cities, but those hired for the position so far have been given very few details about their specific responsibilities. In recent months, some of these people said they were primarily following other ADT technicians while waiting for more information. Additionally, some employees and their managers reported signing a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) related to their position. This high level of secrecy is very common at Apple.
Another potential benefit is that ADT provided these new hires with iPhones for work, while its other technicians received Android devices.
A third clue is that some of the new hires said ADT plans to finally share more details about the role later this month. So the company may be waiting for Apple to announce its smart home hub on Tuesday. Apple is also expected to unveil an ecosystem of third-party smart home accessories developed in partnership with brands such as LG.
One of the new hires said ADT had initially planned to provide details about the role in September, but then delayed that until October. This would be consistent with reports that Apple repeatedly postponed the announcement of its Home Hub because Siri AI wasn’t ready. The revamped version of Siri finally launched last month.
In addition to Siri AI, the home hub would offer smart management of home accessories, home security monitoring, faces and photo galleries, calendar appointment preview, music playback, FaceTime video calls, and much more. The hub would be available in a tabletop version with a speaker base and a wall-mounted version.
Some of the new recruits who asked their managers about this secret role were told that it was apparently linked to home automation and home installation services. So Apple may announce an option for customers to have an ADT technician professionally install the LG Home Wall Hub or related accessories.
It’s unclear whether Apple’s partnership with ADT would extend to home security monitoring.
ADT already has a home security partnership with Google in 2023, but reportedly dropped some features offered on Google Nest devices earlier this year. A few people familiar with the matter told us that ADT’s deal with Google has already expired this year or will expire next year and is not expected to be renewed. If true, this would pave the way for ADT to enter into a partnership with another tech giant: Apple.
Keep in mind that a potential partnership between Apple and ADT is still just a rumor at the moment, and all of these hints could turn out to be a big coincidence. But if the partnership becomes official on Tuesday, you’ll hear it here first.
Gn tech
