Apple could be gearing up for a smart home expansion
Reports are circulating that Apple is expanding its HomeKit team and prepping for a new round of smart home products.
According to reports by Bloomberg, Apple is making plans for future smart home products. The iPhone empire has long been behind Google and Amazon when it comes to smart speakers, smart home integration and Siri voice commands. Could we see new Apple HomeKit products someday after all?
Bloomberg's report noted that Apple has added 15 job postings with titles such as "HomeKit Protocol Engineer," "HomeKit Software Engineer" and "HomeKit Partner Engineer" in the last month seeking engineers for HomeKit.
This effort is reportedly led by Andreas Gal, formerly of Mozilla, who joined Apple in 2018 when Apple acquired his company Silk Labs for its AI platform that linked IoT devices. Some listings mention wireless, battery powered device development, camera modules and supply chain expertise.
HomePod hasn't sold nearly as well as its competitors despite its attractive design, top-notch specs and fantastic sound. That's because it's pricey, there aren't budget options and the HomeKit platform is limited when it comes to compatibility with third-party devices. Apple's list of compatible devices is around 450, while Google and Amazon are both well into the thousands of devices their assistants can control.
Read more: Apple HomeKit security features come to routers and cameras
If Apple is going to make up for lost time in the smart home product industry, the time is now; If not with new Apple hardware, at least with better compatibility with the third part devices already out there. Apple did not immediately respond to our request for comment.