Skip to main content

Apple stops making AirPort base stations, exits Wi-Fi router business

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple announced that it is officially exiting the Wi-Fi router business, and the company will now end production of its AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule models. After launching the first model in 1999, Apple more recently let its AirPort line stagnate when competitors — including Google, Samsung, Huawei, Netgear, Belkin, Linksys, and Eero — pushed forward with newer technologies like mesh connectivity. Some routers, like those from Samsung, also come with smart home integration, allowing consumers to replace a traditional router and a smart home base with one stand-alone unit.

“We’re discontinuing the Apple AirPort base station products,” Apple said in a statement given to iMore. “They will be available through Apple.com, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last.” If you’re in the market for a new router and prefer one made by Apple, you still have an opportunity to pick one up while Apple continues to sell its remaining inventory.

Recommended Videos

The cheapest AirPort model that Apple sells on its website is the AirPort Express, and that model retails for $99. The AirPort Extreme is listed at $199, while the AirPort Time Capsule starts at $299 for 2TB of storage. A 3TB model is also available for a $100 price bump.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Apple’s latest move may come as little surprise, since the company has begun offering Linksys’ mesh networking system called Velop in its retail stores. When the AirPort routers debuted, Apple showcased how routers could be made to look appealing in the home or a small office space. But now the minimalist design has been replicated by competitors in the space.

In addition to mesh connectivity and design, AirPort’s newer competitors also allow users to control and configure their networks using a connected smartphone app. The second-generation Eero mesh networking routers, for example, allow you to control which devices can access the internet through a smartphone app, and an optional subscription brings parental controls and more security features.

In a similar move, when Apple stopped offering its pro-quality Thunderbolt Displays, it chose to sell LG’s monitors in its stores instead.

If you are a current AirPort customer or are looking to obtain one of the remaining models in Apple’s inventory, Apple is committed to providing five years of support. If you need a router today, be sure to check out some of our picks for the best routers you can buy.

Chuong Nguyen
Silicon Valley-based technology reporter and Giants baseball fan who splits his time between Northern California and Southern…
Netgear’s $1,500 Orbi mesh Wi-Fi 6E router promises double the speed
Netgear's Orbi RBKE963 is a terrific Wi-Fi 6E mesh network.

Netgear's latest Orbi is a mesh Wi-Fi 6E network that claims to deliver some impressive-sounding speeds. This Wi-Fi 6E mesh router comes with a quad-band design and a new 6GHz band -- you just need a home or office broadband plan that can deliver the speeds to take advantage of the Orbi's features.

That promises speeds double what is achievable on the conventional 5GHz band found on most routers and whole-home mesh systems today. This means that the Orbi can reach a theoretical speed of 10.8Gbps.

Read more
Netgear’s game-changing Wi-Fi 6e router is here, and it looks like a spaceship
Netgear's Nighthawk RAXE500 tri-band router.

It’s the biggest change to Wi-Fi in nearly three decades, and it’s finally here -- adding extra throughput and room for your data to stretch its legs and really start running.

The change? Wi-Fi 6e, a new standard for wireless signals that expands the existing Wi-Fi 6 router specification, opening up a third swath of spectrum in the 6GHz range, beyond the 5GHz and 2.4GHz used by existing Wi-Fi devices. It's more than just a futuristic spec, though.

Read more
TP-Link’s new blazing-fast Wi-Fi 6E routers coming later in 2021
tp link new wi fi 6e routers ces 2021

TP-Link is introducing a refreshed lineup of routers with support for the Wi-Fi 6E standard. Announced on the first day of CES 2021, the new networking solutions are just the start of new tech coming out of the show so far.

Leading the lineup is the Archer AX96. This router has support for Wi-Fi 6E, which means in can handle speeds of up to 7,800 Mbps. It sports what TP-Link is calling "Smart Antennas," which can help extend coverage in different scenarios. Inside, there's also a 1.7GHz quad-core CPU.

Read more