Apple's Retail Stores Running Dry of AirPort and Time Capsule Stocks?

timecap
We've received several reports today indicating that Apple's retail stores are quickly running out of stock of the various AirPort and Time Capsule wireless networking products, hinting that a full refresh for the line could take place as part of the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote next Monday.

One source has indicated that his local Apple retail store has completely sold out of both Time Capsule models, as well as the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express base stations. A second source reported that Time Capsules are sold out at a different location, with Apple sales reps indicating that no new shipments appeared to be planned. There was no word on the status of AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express stocks at that location.

It seems now that TUAW has been hearing similar reports. They too have heard that several Apple Stores across the US are low or out of stock of AirPort devices.

A reader let us know that all of the Apple Stores in his area are out of AirPort Express models, and one of our sources confirmed the Apple Store in his area is out of stock on not just the Express, but the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule as well. Another source says supplies at one store are not constrained and never have been, but the store "may have" received a notice to send its AirPort device inventory back.

TUAW acknowledges that WWDC is expected to be a software only event, but also raises the possibility that updates could come somehow be tied to Apple's iCloud offering.

Tag: TUAW
Related Forum: Networking

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...

Top Rated Comments

budafied Avatar
172 months ago
A new Airport Extreme would be nice, along with AT LEAST a $50 price cut. $180 for that thing is ridiculous, especially with similar routers going for well under $100 (sometimes under $50) from other manufacturers...
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AriX Avatar
172 months ago
Of note: In Lion, AirPort is branded as "Wi-Fi." You don't see AirPort anywhere. Maybe they're rebranding the base stations as well?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
labrats5 Avatar
172 months ago
Wow, Apple is reading my mind

Just yesterday I was thinking how Apple could differentiate their cloud services with a simple NAS solution. Imagine having a centralized backup of all your files in your home, with an itunes media server that can be accessed remotely from anywhere you have an internet connection, all for no subcription fee because you own the storage and the bandwidth. Apple has all the piece. All they need to do now is make it easy.

A new Airport Extreme would be nice, along with AT LEAST a $50 price cut. $180 for that thing is ridiculous, especially with similar routers going for well under $100 (sometimes under $50) from other manufacturers...
$179 for the airport extreme is actually pretty competitive. A simultaneous dual-band router with gigabit ethernet and usb NAS support will run you at least $149 from linksys (namely the E3200), and they don't give you usb printing. Apple also gives you a much better setup experience as well as simple integration with the best network bridge available (the airport express), which costs the same as linksys' bridge and has more features.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lesser Evets Avatar
172 months ago
A new Airport Extreme would be nice, along with AT LEAST a $50 price cut. $180 for that thing is ridiculous, especially with similar routers going for well under $100 (sometimes under $50) from other manufacturers...
I wish they'd combine the AirPort Express, Time Capsule, and Apple TV to make an all-in-one you prop by your TV screen.... aw, who am I kidding, aside from myself?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
basesloaded190 Avatar
172 months ago
Thunderbolt and SD would be nice, and a direct integration with Apple TV.

Don't think Apple wants to add cars to their routers ;)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hberg Avatar
172 months ago
Good luck keeping a high load multiple connection on your Linksys. There is a good reason the Airport Extreme costs as much as it does: it works.

Ditto!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)