Apple Releases AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.8.1

They are really nice pieces of equipment, and pretty simple to work with. It's too bad Apple decided to drop them, some of the features like Back to your Mac were just stellar (and that's being dropped too, sigh). At least they will keep up with the security updates, maybe one day they will find a reason to make them again.

I still think Apple could come out with new ones; they could come up with their own mesh router system. It’s not like no one would buy it.

i really wish they stuck with their routers. the could make a smart home compatible one now))
seriously though, apple routers are the best i've used.

The pictures are a bit misleading as they show the 802.11ac AirPort devices which don't seem to be part of this update. The 802.11ac AirPort devices already got 7.9.1:

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/05/30/airport-base-station-firmware-7-9-1/

Thanks! I've swapped the image for a different one, sorry for the confusion. Also clarified further in the article that the update is for the 802.11n models and not the 802.11ac models.

If we look closely at Apple's hardware releases in the last several years, it's possible to interpret their strategy and understand why Apple got out of the router game.

The answer is that each Apple device is its own piece of a mesh network. Every Apple device recognizes Apple devices around it and seamlessly creates a network of all devices logged into the same Apple ID and known Apple ID's.

The reliability of transferring files via AirDrop has gotten to a point where it really does just work. iCloud puts storage in the cloud where any device can access it, even outside of a traditional local network. Printers connect directly to each device, without having to configure them manually. These functions constitute the majority of uses for a home network.

The obvious piece that's missing is of course internet access. iPhones connect to the internet directly via LTE and can even get other devices online like Macs and iPads. But LTE data is expensive and Macs and AppleTVs consume large amounts of data. This is where 5G will come in. Speeds are expected to exceed terrestrial internet and available bandwidth will enable ISP's to charge the same for wireless data as they do for traditional internet — with the added benefit that it's much cheaper to deploy 5G infrastructure than it is optical cabling under city streets and on poles.

Some people will probably say that this isn't viable for offices. Commercial networks were never AirPort's focus. IT departments didn't buy a bunch of AirPort to build networks. It was always primarily a consumer device. We have to see this from a consumer perspective and so for consumers, a direct internet connection via a 5G chip built into each device makes far more sense than configuring WiFi networks at home.

Mesh networks are experiencing a bit of a moment now but I don't think that will last as 5G is deployed and people start relying on their future iPhone's 5G connection when data prices drop to the price of traditional home internet prices. Apple wasn't looking at the short term when they decided to abandon AirPort. They're thinking ahead. I fully expect Macs and even AppleTV's to come with built in 5G chips in the coming years and for Watches and iPads to come with cellular chips standard.

i really wish they stuck with their routers. the could make a smart home compatible one now))
seriously though, apple routers are the best i've used.

Maybe Apple's solution should be to make a mesh system, but include it with HomePod - so you buy the mesh and get HomePod, or conversely, you buy HomePod and get mesh.

Either way it wouldn't be a lot of extra electronics or design to go in there.