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Apple Begins to Sell Out of AirPort Base Stations [Updated]
AirPort base stations are beginning to sell out or disappear entirely from Apple's online and retail stores in select countries, a few weeks after Apple announced it has discontinued the lineup of routers.
The first casualty is the AirPort Extreme, now listed as "sold out" on Apple's online store in the United States, and unavailable for pickup at Apple's retail stores across the country. The base station remains available in limited quantities in select other countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, and Singapore.
AirPort Express and AirPort Time Capsule models remain in stock on Apple's online store in the United States, and select other countries, but they will eventually sell out too as inventory continues to dwindle.
In addition, the entire AirPort lineup is no longer listed on Apple's online store in several European countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, as spotted by MacGeneration. It's possible that some of Apple's retail stores still have inventory remaining in those countries.
Apple said that its AirPort products would only remain available while supplies last, so this was to be expected eventually.
Prior to being discontinued, Apple hadn't refreshed its lineup of AirPort base stations in five to six years. The high-end AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule were last updated at WWDC 2013, while the smaller AirPort Express was last updated in June 2012 and still uses the old 802.11n Wi-Fi standard.
The end of the road for AirPort products comes roughly a year and a half after Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple ceased development of the base stations to "sharpen" its focus on other major products.
While the AirPort lineup has been discontinued, Apple will be providing service and parts for the current-generation base stations for up to five more years. Apple also shared a new support document offering tips on choosing a router to use with its devices, and now sells the Linksys Velop mesh system.
Related: Linksys Aims to Fill Apple's AirPort Void With Cheaper Dual-Band Velop Mesh Wi-Fi System
Update: After this article was published, Apple replenished stock of the AirPort Extreme in the United States.
The first casualty is the AirPort Extreme, now listed as "sold out" on Apple's online store in the United States, and unavailable for pickup at Apple's retail stores across the country. The base station remains available in limited quantities in select other countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, and Singapore.
AirPort Express and AirPort Time Capsule models remain in stock on Apple's online store in the United States, and select other countries, but they will eventually sell out too as inventory continues to dwindle.
In addition, the entire AirPort lineup is no longer listed on Apple's online store in several European countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, as spotted by MacGeneration. It's possible that some of Apple's retail stores still have inventory remaining in those countries.
Apple said that its AirPort products would only remain available while supplies last, so this was to be expected eventually.
Prior to being discontinued, Apple hadn't refreshed its lineup of AirPort base stations in five to six years. The high-end AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule were last updated at WWDC 2013, while the smaller AirPort Express was last updated in June 2012 and still uses the old 802.11n Wi-Fi standard.
The end of the road for AirPort products comes roughly a year and a half after Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple ceased development of the base stations to "sharpen" its focus on other major products.
While the AirPort lineup has been discontinued, Apple will be providing service and parts for the current-generation base stations for up to five more years. Apple also shared a new support document offering tips on choosing a router to use with its devices, and now sells the Linksys Velop mesh system.
Related: Linksys Aims to Fill Apple's AirPort Void With Cheaper Dual-Band Velop Mesh Wi-Fi System
Update: After this article was published, Apple replenished stock of the AirPort Extreme in the United States.
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18 months ago
Apple gets rid of or doesn't update its best products these days.
Steve Jobs - You're truly missed. Other than Airpods, there is not a single innovative Apple product available these days.
Steve Jobs - You're truly missed. Other than Airpods, there is not a single innovative Apple product available these days.
18 months ago
It really is a pity. Been using Airport routers for 14 years and I loved them.
They worked flawlessly.
They worked flawlessly.
18 months ago
Killing off two untouched products to “focus” on other products is total BS. How many iPhones are they coming out with this fall? Exactly.
They are trying to spin this as a Steve Jobs era “focusing”, but really it’s very much a Tim Cook era “bottom line” thing.
They are trying to spin this as a Steve Jobs era “focusing”, but really it’s very much a Tim Cook era “bottom line” thing.
18 months ago
Apple also shared a new support document offering tips on choosing a[n alternative] router to use with its devices . . .
...and choosing an alternative to the Mac Pro . . .
...and choosing an alternative to the Mac Mini . . .
...and choosing an alternative to the MBP (with decent keyboard and ports) . . .
...etc. . . .
18 months ago
OMG I am sooo excited for Tim.
6 years of neglect - and still milking for the premium price.
That’s just an awesome record that nobody could have imagined a decade ago.
6 years of neglect - and still milking for the premium price.
That’s just an awesome record that nobody could have imagined a decade ago.
18 months ago
I may need to try one before they are gone. I have tried 5 different, high cost 802.11ac routers, and cannot find one that is as stable, reliable and fast as my old 802.11n linksys
Have you given Ubiquiti a try? Their Unifi system is incredible and has been extremely stable for me. They also have a more consumer friendly system called Amplifi which I have not tried.
18 months ago
It's not like they were making a bad product. I'm just so surprised a company making this much money is opening up the market with watches and ditching backend products like routers. I clearly don't have the sales numbers and i'm sure there's a valid reason behind cutting the Airport series, but man-o-man, I feel it's one product that was rock solid and helped with introducing everyone to the Apple ecosystem.
It will be interesting to see what Apple has in the next 5 years.
It will be interesting to see what Apple has in the next 5 years.
18 months ago
It's not like they were making a bad product. I'm just so surprised a company making this much money is opening up the market with watches and ditching backend products like routers. I clearly don't have the sales numbers and i'm sure there's a valid reason behind cutting the Airport series, but man-o-man, I feel it's one product that was rock solid and helped with introducing everyone to the Apple ecosystem.
It will be interesting to see what Apple has in the next 5 years.
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