GoKawiilAs reported by Bloomberg, Apple’s hardware chief for home devices, Brian Lynch, is leaving the company to join smart ring maker Oura. Here are the details.
Apple’s smart home division hits another bump
According to Bloomberg, Lynch’s departure is another setback for Apple’s smart home initiative, which recently made headlines after the company reportedly delayed its long-awaited smart display to as early as September.
From today’s report:
Brian Lynch, who has been Apple’s senior director in charge of home devices since 2022, has joined the ring company as senior vice president of hardware engineering, Oura Chief Executive Officer Tom Hale told Bloomberg News on Tuesday.
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Lynch had been overseeing the hardware side of the new devices. Apple originally planned to release the smart display last year but the product has been postponed a number of times, delayed by a beleaguered overhaul of Siri. An update to the voice assistant is crucial to delivering personalized data to the device.
The report adds that Lynch, who previously worked as a top engineering manager on Apple’s self driving car project and earlier helped develop several iPods, is the second high-profile departure from the group in recent years, following DJ Novotney’s exit in 2024 as vice president of program management for the home hardware group.
b notes that the home team is “run by executive Matt Costello, who also oversees audio engineering and Beats products,” and reports to John Ternus, who, also according to Bloomberg, “has been playing a central role in the smart home efforts and sees it as central to the company’s future growth.”
In addition to the smart display, Apple is rumored to be working on multiple new home products, including a video doorbell with Face ID and smart lock integration.
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