Why Apple Should Resume Making Wireless Routers

Apple, Inc. AAPL is seeing strong new product momentum, and as recently as this month, the tech giant hosted its first hardware launch event of the year.

What Happened: Apple resurrected its ailing Mac product line up by focusing on innovation and performance, with the latest M1-based Macs having a fair blend of performance, battery life and aesthetics, Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman said in his weekly Power On newsletter. The company has also gone back in time and restarted making monitors, with the Studio Display, he said.

Now it might be time for Apple to bring back its Wi-Fi routers, which the company discontinued way back in 2016, Gurman said.

The Apple specialist noted that Apple was among the pioneers of consumer-grade wireless internet. It launched the AirPort Base Station in 1999 alongside the iBook laptop, he said.

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The first AirPort was simple in the sense, it worked by plugging the Ethernet cable into the AirPort instead of the computer, Gurman said. This device then provided Wi-Fi for the home, the writer added.

When additional AirPort models were launched for about 15 years, the lineup included a low-end version called the AirPort Express and a high-end model named the AirPort Extreme, as well as the AirPort Time Capsule, Gurman noted.

The AirPort Time Capsule, the columnist said, embedded a hard drive in the router for wireless Mac backups.

An attempt to visit Apple's old AirPort website will result in being referred to three Linksys mesh routers with HomeKit support that Apple sells on its online store, Gurman said.

Gurman's Thoughts On Future Wi-Fi Routers: The Apple writer said Apple should now develop a modern mesh network version of the AirPort Extreme.

"A mesh network is a router system that includes several small Wi-Fi hubs to be placed around a home. The approach ensures you have a reliable connection in the various spots of your house," he concluded.

Apple closed Friday's session down 2.09% at $163.98.

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Photo: Courtesy of Sean Choe on Flickr