Apple's Top Home Devices Engineer Leaves for Oura

Departure comes amid delays in Apple's Siri-powered smart home lineup

Mar. 18, 2026 at 1:20am

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Brian Lynch, the hardware engineer overseeing home devices at Apple, has left the company to join fitness-tracking ring maker Oura as its new senior vice president of hardware engineering. The move comes as Apple has struggled to ship a satisfactory new version of its Siri virtual assistant, which has reportedly delayed several upcoming smart home products.

Why it matters

Apple's smart home ambitions have stalled in recent years, with the company unable to ship new Siri-powered devices as it grapples with issues surrounding its voice assistant. Lynch's departure is the latest sign of turmoil within Apple's home and AI teams, raising questions about the company's ability to compete with Amazon, Google, and others in the lucrative smart home market.

The details

According to reports, several Apple smart home devices in the product pipeline have been delayed due to the company's inability to finalize a new version of Siri that meets its standards. The departure of Lynch, who oversaw hardware for these home products, suggests the challenges run deep. Oura, meanwhile, has been poaching talent from Apple as it looks to expand its own smart device offerings.

  • On March 16, 2026, Apple hardware engineer Brian Lynch announced he was leaving the company to join Oura as senior vice president of hardware engineering.
  • In December 2025, rumors swirled that Apple CEO Tim Cook was planning to depart the company in 2026, though Cook later denied those reports.

The players

Brian Lynch

The former head of hardware engineering for Apple's home devices, who has now joined Oura as senior vice president of hardware engineering.

Tom Hale

The CEO of Oura, the fitness-tracking ring company that has hired several former Apple employees, including Lynch.

Tim Cook

The CEO of Apple, who in March 2026 denied rumors that he was planning to leave the company later that year.

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What they’re saying

“No, I didn't say that. I haven't said that. I love what I do deeply.”

— Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

What’s next

Apple is expected to unveil its new Siri-powered smart home devices in September 2026 at the earliest, according to reports.

The takeaway

Apple's struggles with Siri have had a ripple effect across the company's product roadmap, leading to delays in its smart home ambitions and the departure of a key hardware engineer. The company's inability to ship competitive AI-powered devices could open the door for rivals like Amazon and Google to further cement their dominance in the lucrative smart home market.