Apple has been mostly about iPhones and MacBooks lately, but the company also has some other products in its portfolio, including wireless routers that so many people are using right now.
But it’s no secret that the existing models of AirPort and Time Capsule devices are more than three years old, and Apple never seemed to be too keen on launching hardware refreshes, and it turns out that there’s a good reason for this.
Cupertino is giving up on the wireless router business entirely, with the company now discontinuing the $99 AirPort Express, $199 AirPort Extreme, and Time Capsule models.
A report from Bloomberg points to a massive reorganization at Apple for its wireless router business, with the source revealing that the firm decided to disband the whole division and reassign all employees.
It appears that engineers are now being transferred to products that are more important for the company, such as the iPhone, but Apple’s plans are not entirely clear, especially given the fact that support for its routers is needed.
The AirPort and the Time Capsule both come with their proprietary systems, so by pulling the plug on them, customers might find themselves with a huge problem when it comes to dealing with issues affecting these devices.
On the other hand, the decision to reassign employees to products that make more sense for the company is just a logical step, especially given the recent signs of declining interest in wireless routers.
Not only that Apple hasn’t rolled out a hardware refresh of the AirPort but the company also tried to sell as many as possible in an attempt to clear out inventories across the world. All routers received hefty discounts, and now Apple might have reached a moment when it’s prepared to discontinue the product entirely.
As usual, take this as pure speculation, as a confirmation from Apple is not yet confirmed. And yet, all signs seem to indeed point to a shutdown of the router division. We’ve reached out to the firm and will update the article should a statement be provided.
