Apple Dropping "AirPort" for "Wi-Fi"

Not all the updates in Lion are huge, world-altering features, but for those switching from Windows to Mac, this one might make life a little easier. Apple appears to be dropping "Airport" from its preferred vocabulary, instead adopting the more widespread "Wi-Fi".

Airport vs. Wi-Fi: Before and After
Left: Snow Leopard, Right: Lion

Apple Stores have been running low on AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule wireless base stations recently and new devices have been anticipated for several weeks. It is possible that a name change will accompany a product refresh.

Wi-Fi has been the preferred term for wireless internet connectivity for most of the tech world , and, notably, iOS applications, for a long time, but AirPort has been Apple's name for the various 802.11 standards since 1999 when Steve Jobs introduced the first iBook with Wi-Fi capabilities.

The AirPort name has never really been used outside Apple, but the term Wi-Fi has become more and more popular over the years and it seems Apple has finally acquiesced to popular vernacular.

Thanks Oded!

Related Forum: Networking

Popular Stories

samsung crease less foldable display ces 2026%402x

Foldable iPhone's Crease-Free Display Tech Spotted at CES 2026

Tuesday January 6, 2026 3:04 am PST by
CES 2026 has just provided a first glimpse of the folding display technology that Apple is expected to use in its upcoming foldable iPhone. At the event, Samsung Display briefly showcased its new crease-less foldable OLED panel beside a Galaxy Z Fold 7, and according to SamMobile, which saw the test booth before it was abruptly removed, the new panel "has no crease at all" in comparison. The ...
iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
AirPods Pro 3 Year of the Horse Feature

Apple Launches Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for Lunar New Year

Monday January 5, 2026 11:28 am PST by
Apple has designed a limited edition version of the AirPods Pro 3 to celebrate Lunar New Year, and customers in select countries can purchase them starting today. The Year of the Horse Special Edition AirPods Pro 3 feature a unique horse emoji character that's otherwise unavailable. Customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore are able to buy the AirPods, and they'll be...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
m4 macbook air blue 2

iPadOS and macOS 26.2 Double 5GHz Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Wi-Fi 6E Devices

Monday January 5, 2026 1:57 pm PST by
With the release of iPadOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2, Apple has improved the Wi-Fi speeds for select Macs and iPads that support Wi-Fi 6E. Updated Wi-Fi connectivity specifications are listed in Apple's platform deployment guide. The M4 iPad Pro models, M3 iPad Air models, A17 Pro iPad mini, M2 to M5 MacBook Pro models, M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air models, and other Wi-Fi 6E Macs and iPads now ...
anker new charger 2026

Anker Introduces Pre-Order Discounts on 2026 Nano Chargers, Alongside Big New Year's Sale

Monday January 5, 2026 10:17 am PST by
Anker announced a new series of products at CES this week, and most of them will begin rolling out to customers later in January. A few of these devices, including the Nano Docking Station and 45W Nano Charger, have pre-order discounts on Anker's website, and we're also tracking big discounts in Anker's New Year's sale. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...

Top Rated Comments

odedia Avatar
190 months ago
You're welcome! :)
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Skika Avatar
190 months ago
I like AirPort :(
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kolax Avatar
190 months ago
Prefer WiFi to Wi-Fi.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rodimus Prime Avatar
190 months ago
took them long enough. I have had to field the question before of "How do I turn on WiFi, I see airport but no WiFi"

Using industry standard names is a GOOD THING.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ratzzo Avatar
190 months ago
To the average user, this will solve a lot of questions. When my uncle got a MBP he didn't really know how to enable Wi Fi.. "what's this airport you speak of?" heh.. good times :D
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
interrobang Avatar
190 months ago
In all fairness, when Apple came out with the first AirPort products in 1999, there was no industry standard name.

Now that there is, it makes sense for Apple to adopt it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)