Apple appears to be in the process of streamlining its divisions. Last month, it confirmed it is exiting the standalone display business and has no plans to launch any more monitors. Now, its Wi-Fi routers have come under scrutiny as Apple moves to concentrate on the big money-makers and its upcoming projects.
The company has already abandoned the AirPort line-up and moved to disband the team behind it, according to a report from Bloomberg today. It first began to shut down the team a year ago, suggesting the plans are already far advanced.
It is not clear whether there have been any job losses as a result of the changes. Apple is said to be moving engineers to different teams, including the group behind the Apple TV. The emerging product is currently a key interest area for the company. CEO Tim Cook has previously stated he expects the future of TV to be defined by apps, rather than broadcasted content.
Apple currently sells three models of wireless router, the $99 AirPort Express, $199 AirPort Extreme and $299 AirPort Time Capsule. The latter is capable of acting as a network backup location for Mac PCs, including a hard drive within the AirPort Extreme’s design.
Apple’s routers have never been industry-leading devices. That’s more evident than ever today as the range hasn’t received any updates since 2013. The AirPort Extreme was one of the first 802.11ac routers to launch but it now lags behind its rivals. The entry-level AirPort Express only provides 300Mbps 802.11n Wi-Fi and 100Mbps Ethernet. The much faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard and 1,000Gbps Ethernet is now becoming standard on budget routers.
Apple’s router problems don’t end at the outdated tech. They also lack advanced configuration options which can make it difficult to customise the network they host. Primarily, the AirPort range was designed to make it simpler to connect Apple’s own devices together. This limits their interoperability with third-party brands. Some of the AirPort features, including the Time Capsule’s backup capabilities, only work on Macs, making the routers most attractive to customers who already own multiple Apple products..
In today’s market, the AirPort line-up is more markedly overpriced than it’s ever been. The promised ease of use of an AirPort router has also been surpassed. New devices from companies such as Google offer a similar one-tap setup approach, work with any smartphone, tablet or PC and use new mesh network technology to extend Wi-Fi throughout the house.
Rather than compete with Google, Apple appears to have decided to scale back and concentrate on its core portfolio. Instead of developing what’s always been a minor product, it will focus on its new devices that are beginning to gain traction, such as the Apple TV.
