Apple is getting out of the router business. The AirPort line of routers will no longer be available after existing supplies are sold.
- Apple will stop selling its line of routers.
- Models including the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule have been discontinued.
- You can still buy one as long as supplies last.
Apple has decided to officially stop selling Apple-branded routers, the company announced on Thursday.
Models including the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule have been discontinued, and will only be available as long as supplies last, the company said in a statement.
It's not a huge surprise: In 2016, Bloomberg reported that Apple disbanded the division within the company that develops its wireless routers, and none of Apple's models had received updates in years.
Still, it can be disappointing for Apple fans who wanted an Apple product to create a Wi-Fi home network to connect computers and phones to the internet. Apple's routers were always premium-priced, starting at $99 and ranging up to $299.
Apple's decision to exit the router business comes as other companies, such as Google and Eero, have embraced new router technologies. These next-generation routers come with several different access points, creating what are often called "mesh networks" for better Wi-Fi coverage, and can cost up to $499.
Apple's routers have never been a big business for the company. Apple reports its router revenue as "other products," as opposed to Mac or iPhone sales, which are reported individually.