14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has finally confirmed that it’s giving up on its AirPort router line, now instructing customers to purchase third-party hardware, some of which is available right in its stores.
The firm confirmed in a statement for 9to5mac that it officially discontinued the AirPort, indicating that the device would continue to be available from the Apple Store and retailers while supplies last. No other units would be brought back in stock after all models are sold out, and there are no plans to restart production or invest in a new generation.
“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,” Apple said in a brief statement.
If you feel lucky and want to buy the Apple router before it disappears completely, all models, AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Time Capsule, are still available but are expected to sell out shortly.
No price cut for the latest units
While you’d normally expect a product at the end of its lifecycle to be available with a substantial discount, this isn’t the case of the AirPort, as Apple isn’t offering any price cuts for the last units produced. The AirPort Express can be yours for $99, while the more expensive Extreme version is still priced at $199. The AirPort Time Capsule costs $299 for 2TB of storage and $399 for the 3TB version.
Apple launched the AirPort router back in 1999, and the latest product upgrade took place in 2011, with the company shutting down the entire development team in November 2016, making the first major step towards killing off the full line of products.
The company has until now remained tight-lipped on its router business, but it hinted on several occasions that a return is possible only if it makes sense.
In the meantime, however, Apple is offering third-party alternatives to those who want to get a router from the Apple Store, including the Linksys Velop, sold by the company for $349.95 in a two-pack offer.