HomePod is tepid, Apple recruits new software chief to challenge Amazon Echo

According to reports, Apple hired a new engineer to lead the software development of its HomePod smart speaker, hoping to increase the market popularity of the product and launch greater challenges to Amazon and Google’s smart speakers. According to people familiar with the matter, Apple will recruit Afrooz Family (Afrooz Family) to lead the work.

Fermili worked at Apple from 2012 to 2016, then left and co-founded the audio startup Syng with former Apple industrial designer Christopher Stringer (Christopher Stringer). After helping it develop Cell Alpha, Fermili left the startup earlier this year.

Apple hopes to launch a greater challenge to Amazon and Google’s smart speakers. Amazon’s Echo device is equipped with the Alexa voice assistant and currently dominates the industry. Users can rely on this product to perform operations such as playing music, answering questions, and setting alarms.

Jason Harrison, the head of HomePod software, left Apple last year to join Airbnb. The first-generation HomePod was launched in 2018 at a price of US$349, but sales were poor, and production was discontinued earlier this year. Last fall, Apple re-explored this category with the $99 HomePod mini.

The device did not cause a sensation, but it did help Apple increase the company’s overall speaker sales. Nevertheless, according to market research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, it does not pose much of a threat to Amazon and Google’s equipment.

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Syng also faces its own dilemma. The speaker developed by this startup is a high-end alternative to the HomePod, priced at $1,800. It provides what the startup company calls “triple sound effects”-audio from three different directions. However, the development and manufacture of this equipment face challenges, and its high price makes it destined to become a niche product.

Fermili has a wealth of experience in the development of smart speakers. Before joining Syng, he was an audio engineer at Apple, responsible for the first generation of HomePod. Apple usually updates the HomePod software every year, as well as the iPhone and iPad systems.

Last month, the tech giant strengthened its integration with Apple TV when it updated the HomePod. A few months ago, the company also adjusted HomePod’s management, merged the HomePod and Apple TV software teams into one team, reporting to iTunes creator Jeff Robbin (Jeff Robbin).

Apple eventually plans to integrate HomePod with Apple TV hardware. According to reports, the company is developing a device that integrates Apple TV, HomePod and FaceTime cameras, which will be released in 2023 at the earliest.

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