A giant iPad may be the key to people’s homes for Apple Inc., according to tech journalist Mark Gurman. What Happened: Gurman noted that the Tim Cook-led company has been “a laggard” in the home market and is behind rivals Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc. Apple has cornered just 5 percent of the smart speaker market, as per data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, which Gurman cited in his latest newsletter. On the other hand, Amazon’s Alex voice assistant accounts for 69 percent of sales, while Google accounts for 25 percent. “Apple lacks a do-it-all home hub—a device with a screen—making it all the harder to catch up,” wrote Gurman. The path forward could be a “giant iPad,” noted the analyst after testing Amazon’s new Echo Show 15 and Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook Portal. Why It Matters: Gurman said that Apple could make “a far better” device than its rivals. A …