You assume Apple is doing something to "add" the AirPort Express to the Home app because that fits your narrative. Far more likely they are simply not doing something to exclude it properly. It likely shows up there for other reasons and needs to be filtered in the final product.
It's not an assumption, it's obvious at the very least someone had to design the icon! That's a deliberate action. You can't not do something that pops out an icon.
Now, worst case scenario, it's just housekeeping, keeping it still just stays as an Airplay 1 target. And for what is worth, despite the criticism, Apple does tend to care for old equipment out there on the market (they care less for the ones they're selling, like the Mac Mini).
If the update is feasible, if the hardware is there, it would be negligent for them not to do it, both in terms of good working hardware that people already own (both the Airport Express units and sound systems), and it would be good to expand the Airplay 2 ecosystem. Even for Apple fans, replacing everything with Homepods is a ridiculous proposition for the next few years. Maintaining these devices in the Airplay 2 world makes for a lot of happy people, and an expansion of the reasons to by into Homepod/Airplay 2.
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Now, worst case scenario, it's just housekeeping, keeping it still just stays as an Airplay 1 target. And for what is worth, despite the criticism, Apple does tend to care for old equipment out there on the market (they care less for the ones they're selling, like the Mac Mini).
If the update is feasible, if the hardware is there, it would be negligent for them not to do it, both in terms of good working hardware that people already own (both the Airport Express units and sound systems), and it would be good to expand the Airplay 2 ecosystem. Even for Apple fans, replacing everything with Homepods is a ridiculous proposition for the next few years. Maintaining these devices in the Airplay 2 world makes for a lot of happy people, and an expansion of the reasons to by into Homepod/Airplay 2.