Apple’s October 13 Event Fuels Talk of a Smart-Home Push With ADT

Apple has invited media to a “Welcome home” event in New York on Tuesday, October 13, and the timing has revived speculation about an Apple ADT partnership. The event is expected to center on the smart home, with Apple also expected to unveil third-party smart home accessories made with LG.

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Why ADT is drawing attention

Since around July, ADT has posted Low Voltage Technician job listings in various U.S. cities. Several clues suggest Apple is planning an ADT partnership, though the arrangement remains a rumor.

New hires have been given few details about what the job involves. Some said they primarily shadowed other ADT technicians while waiting for information. Some employees and managers signed NDAs related to the role. One new hire said ADT initially planned to share details in September, then delayed them to October. New hires also said ADT plans to share more role details later this month.

Another signal: ADT provided new hires with iPhones, while other technicians use Android devices. New hires were told the role relates to home automation and in-home installation services.

What the home hub is expected to do

Apple is expected to announce a smart home hub. The device has been postponed multiple times because Siri AI was not ready; a revamped Siri launched last month. The hub reportedly offers smart home accessory management, security monitoring, faces and galleries, a calendar overview, music playback, and FaceTime. It is said to come in a tabletop version with a speaker base and a wall-mounted version.

If an Apple-ADT partnership materializes, one possibility is that an ADT technician could install the wall-mounted home hub or LG accessories. It is unclear whether any partnership would extend to home security monitoring.

ADT's Google ties are shifting

ADT partnered with Google on home security in 2023. Earlier this year, ADT reportedly dropped some Google Nest device features. A few people familiar with the matter said the ADT-Google agreement either expired this year or will expire next year and is not set to be renewed.

That backdrop makes an Apple tie-up seem more plausible to observers, but it does not confirm one. Whether Apple and ADT will officially announce a partnership, what the ADT role will ultimately involve, and whether home security monitoring is included all remain unknown. The clues could still prove coincidental.