Brian Lynch, the senior director overseeing Apple’s home hardware engineering division, is leaving the company to take on a new role at the smart ring manufacturer Oura. Lynch will step into the position of senior vice president of hardware engineering at Oura, marking the end of a tenure at Apple that spanned more than two decades.
This departure comes at a notable time for Apple’s smart home division, which is currently navigating reported delays on several major unreleased products.
It is a major change in leadership for the Apple Home Devices team
Lynch took charge of Apple’s home devices group in 2022. Before focusing on smart home hardware, he spent time managing engineering for the company’s canceled self-driving car project and contributed to the development of early iPod models. His exit represents another notable departure for the home team, following the loss of vice president of program management DJ Novotney in 2024.
The home hardware group currently operates under executive Matt Costello, who also manages audio engineering and Beats products.
Ongoing delays impact the upcoming smart display launch
This leadership change surfaces right as Apple faces problems in getting its next wave of home products to market. The company has been developing a new smart home hub, but the anticipated release has been pushed back to September 2026.
The postponement is reportedly tied to development roadblocks with a planned overhaul of Siri. The voice assistant needs a significant update to properly deliver the personalized data required by the new display device.
Oura continues to pull engineering talent from Apple
Oura has a track record of recruiting engineering talent away from Apple over the last few years. Bringing Lynch on board to lead their hardware engineering efforts gives the ring maker a veteran with a history of shipping massive consumer electronics.
While Oura builds its hardware leadership, Apple will push forward with its important future roadmap. That lineup includes the delayed smart display, new home security sensors, and potentially a tabletop robotics project slated for 2027.
Apple’s senior director of home hardware engineering, Brian Lynch, is leaving the company after 20 years to become Oura’s new senior vice president of hardware.
