Apple has hired a new Head of HomePod Software to help bolster the failing product category.
Since the launch of the original HomePod back in 2017, Apple has struggled to make an impact in the lucrative smart home market, failing to compete with Google’s Nest range and Amazon’s Echo lineup.
Although the price has been a contributing factor, many are growing increasingly frustrated with Siri and its lack of functionality when compared to Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, both considered to be far superior smart assistants and able to fulfil a far greater number of tasks and responsibilities.
Apple discontinued the original HomePod and introduced the HomePod mini last year, but it doesn’t seem like the $99 smart speaker has had much of an impact. Now, Apple has hired a new Head of HomePod Software, Afrooz Family, to lead the team and set HomePod on a new trajectory. He previously worked for Apple before moving to co-found Syng, an audio startup. Family previously worked on a number of technologies for Apple, including Spatial Audio on AirPods and the Spatial Awareness feature on HomePod.
It’s unknown where Apple wants to take the HomePod, but a separate report suggests that the company wants to work on a mid-range smart speaker that would sit in between the HomePod mini and the original HomePod in terms of price and performance, and the company is also working on a set-top box that will combine both the HomePod speaker and an Apple TV, which could prove to be fruitful.
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