"Apple is ramping up hiring for a team to work on new smart home devices to catch up with Google and Amazon, who are dominating this field. Apple is seeking to redesign its smart home platform, HomeKit, to spur more outside accessory and appliances to be connected with Apple’s voice assistant, Siri. Apple is also considering the possibility of developing new home devices beyond the HomePod speaker. Gaining a foothold in the smart home market is significant for Apple amidst a continued decline in iPhone sales. The HomePod hasn’t gained widespread popularity due to its high price, reliance on Apple service, and smaller base of connectable smart devices. More importantly, Amazon and Google’s smart-home ecosystems are far larger than Apple’s." – Angela Cheon