Apple exits Wi-Fi game, AirPort routers discontinued after stock sells out

After sitting in silence for years, Apple’s AirPort base station devices will fade away soon. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is officially discontinuing the AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule Wi-Fi routers.

The company hasn’t updated any of the AirPort devices in nearly five years as it has focused more on other product categories. Apple will sell off its remaining inventory through Apple.com, Apple retail stores, and Apple authorized resellers “while supplies last.” The company will also continue to provide hardware and software support for AirPort customers for the time being.

In the two decades since the introduction of the AirPort family, the Wi-Fi world has changed quite a bit. Wireless networking wasn’t as ubiquitous then as it is now. Many customers now get wireless routers from Internet service providers, and those that are built into the providers’ hardware are typically good enough for most users.

There’s also a lot of competition in the high-end and mesh router world, with Google, Linksys, and Netgear all having their own options for power users. While Apple could dive back into the Wi-Fi router space in the future, the company is clearly focusing more on other categories at the moment, including the smart home space with HomeKit, augmented reality with ARKit, its smartphone lineup, and others.