On March 18, according to Bloomberg,Apple Inc.'s top hardware engineering executive responsible for smart home devices has left to join smart ring maker Oura Health Oy, a blow to a division already facing product delays.
Oura CEO Tom Hale told Bloomberg on Tuesday that Brian Lynch, who has served as senior director of home devices at Apple Intelligence since 2022, has joined the company as senior vice president of hardware engineering.
Apple has been preparing for a big push into smart home technology over the past few years, with plans to launch a high-end display equipped with AI and facial recognition capabilities. According to Bloomberg, Apple is also developing a desktop robot device with a 9-inch display, as well as an advanced home security and automation sensor.
Lynch has been responsible for the hardware development of these new devices. Apple originally planned to release this smart display last year, but the product has been delayed multiple times due to the difficult reconstruction of Siri. For the Siri voice assistant to provide personalized data for the device, its updates are crucial.
As of press time, Apple had declined to comment.