Apple hires a new HomePod software lead amid speaker market struggles

S. Dent@stevetdentOctober 15th, 2021In this write-up: news, gear, Echo, voice assistant, Afrooz Relatives, HomePod, Apple, selecting, sensible speaker, SiriEngadget

Amid struggles to make headway in the sensible speaker current market, Apple has hired a new HomePod software program head, in accordance to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The organization has reportedly introduced onboard Afrooz Relatives, who co-started the significant-conclude audio startup Syng with previous Apple designer Christopher Stringer.

Apple’s $349 HomePod arrived in 2018 to quite mixed evaluations, and was discontinued early this year. The business has significantly unsuccessful to contend with sensible speaker rivals, particularly Amazon’s Alexa-powered Echo devices and Google’s Assistant speaker spouse and children. 

Family members labored for Apple involving 2012 and 2016 and was on the unique HomePod staff in advance of commencing Syng. That enterprise aimed to develop a “revolutionary” speaker to produce immersive audio, but finally formulated a alternatively specialized niche, $1,800 speaker. The past HomePod program head, Jason Harrison, remaining Apple for Airbnb past yr. 

Apple’s hottest speaker solution is the $99 HomePod mini, which we explained in our Engadget review as an “satisfactory Echo different.” That gadget has reportedly served product sales a bit, but hasn’t put a lot of a dent in a industry dominated by Amazon and Google, according to Bloomberg.

The biggest issue with Apple’s wise speakers might be Siri and HomeKit, which aren’t as broadly supported as Alexa and Google Assistant. The unique HomePod was also pretty high priced at launch. To make inroads, Apple may well require to alter its solution and continue on to improve integration — as it lately did with a HomePod mini update that produced it function with Apple Tv. Apple’s major intention is to merge its HomePod and Apple Television components, in accordance to Gurman. 

Apple is holding its Unleashed event on Monday, the place it is really envisioned to start new MacBooks and probably AirPods, but there is certainly no rumors of a new HomePod solution coming any time quickly. 

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