by Jason Snell
It’s official: Apple discontinues AirPort
Apple has released a statement that it’s getting out of the wireless router game:
“We’re discontinuing the Apple AirPort base station products. They will be available through Apple.com, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers while supplies last.”
Mark Gurman called this one in November 2016, but here’s the official end. Given the vibrant world of wireless networking—powerful multi-band base stations, innovative mesh networks, and the rest—it’s not really necessary for Apple to be in this game.
I’ve had good and bad experiences with AirPort products. A few of them burned out fast rather than fading away. But a couple of them lasted forever and were far more reliable than any third-party replacements I’ve tried. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love Apple to make best-in-class wireless routers and drive the category forward. But there are probably other product categories I’d rather see Apple focus on.