From: Richard Kahn
To: "jeffrey E." <jeevacation@gmail.com>
Subject: Fwd: Apple Ceases Development of 'AirPort' Wireless
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2016 16:36:03 +0000
Richard Kahn
HBRK Associates Inc.
575 Lexington Avenue 4th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Begin forwarded message:
From: james I personal genius <
Subject: Apple Ceases Development of 'AirPort' Wireless
Date: November 21, 2016 at 10:49:02 AM EST
To: Richard Kahn
Hi,
Apple has given up on developing wifi routers; they're continuing to sell the existing models but not developing
anything new in that space.
The current models support all the newest wifi standards, so there's no reason for us to replace existing
equipment, but moving forward I'll be recommending Eero hardware for new setups.
Apple Ceases Development of 'AirPort' Wireless Routers as Engineers Reassigned to Other Products
Apple has dissolved its division which develops wireless routers and is now sending engineers who worked on
the AirPort lineup into other product teams, including one currently working on Apple TV. The news comes
from a report by Bloomberg, who said Apple has been slowly shutting down the division over the past year and
EFTA01061264
made the decision "to try to sharpen the company's focus on consumer products that generate the bulk of its
revenue."
irport_roundup
Currently, Apple sells three wireless routers, including the AirPort Express ($99), AirPort Extreme ($199), and
AirPort Time Capsule ($299), but none of the devices have seen a refresh since 2013. A temporary stock
shortage earlier in the year gave hope that a refresh of the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule was coming
during WWDC, but Apple never mentioned the products during its keynote. The trio of wireless routers still
remain available for purchase for the time being.
Exiting the router business could make Apple's product ecosystem less sticky. Some features of the AirPort
routers, including wireless music playback, require an Apple device like an iPhone or Mac computer. If the
company no longer sells wireless routers, some may have a reason to use other phones and PCs.
The central reason for abandoning the AirPort line appears to focus mainly on its small revenue gains in
comparison to the company's more lucrative products, like the iPhone. Apple includes its routers in the "other
products" category of its annual financial results, a section which generated $11.1 billion in fiscal 2016, or
about 5 percent of the company's total sales.
Related Roundup: Aka=
Tags: bloomberg com AirPort Extreme AirPort Time Capsule
http://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/21/apple-ceases-airport-wireless/
Thank you,
EFTA01061265
James Ce, your Personal Genius,
http://personalgenius.us
EFTA01061266