Apple arbeitet an Chip mit potenzieller Router-Funktion

For years, Apple has focused on smartphones, computers, and services. But anyone who remembers the 2000s and 2010s will know that Apple was also active in the wireless router sector with its AirPort series. The products were reliable, simply designed, and perfectly integrated into the Apple ecosystem. Since its discontinuation in 2018, things have been quiet. Now there's movement again – and speculation is growing.

Apple previously offered various Wi-Fi base stations, including the AirPort Express, AirPort Extreme, and the AirPort Time Capsule. The Time Capsule even had a built-in hard drive for automatic Mac backups via Time Machine. The devices were considered easy-to-use, functional, and elegant. Nevertheless, Apple withdrew completely from the router business in 2018. The reasons for this included increasing competition from specialized providers such as Netgear, AVM, and Google, which relied on modern mesh technology. Furthermore, the company shifted its focus more towards services and mobile devices.

AirPort checked off – or just temporarily?

A few days ago, Apple officially classified additional AirPort models as "obsolete." This means no more hardware repairs or technical support. This has reignited old discussions. The key question is: Will Apple ever develop its own Wi-Fi routers again, or at least integrate similar features into existing products? A clue to this could come from a report by Mark Gurman, who regularly covers Apple for Bloomberg. In December 2024, he wrote that Apple is developing its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. This chip will be used in new generations of Apple TV and HomePod mini. Gurman described the chip as so powerful that these devices could "theoretically" become wireless access points.

The new chip: More than just radio technology

Technologically, the new Apple chip would represent a major step forward. While the last AirPort generation relied on today's Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), the new chip is expected to support at least Wi-Fi 6E – i.e., the 6 GHz band, which enables higher speeds and lower latency. Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu even expects the chip to be Wi-Fi 7-capable. While Wi-Fi 7 is still in its early stages, it promises significantly higher throughput, less interference, and better performance with a large number of devices on the network. However, it is still unclear whether Apple will actually use this technology for network functions. Currently, all that is known is that the chip is intended for wireless communication in Apple TV and HomePod. Whether it will also integrate the function of a Wi-Fi router remains open.

Apple as a router manufacturer – just different?

A comeback in the form of a traditional Wi-Fi router is therefore rather unlikely. It is much more likely that Apple will add additional functions to existing devices – for example, to support a home network that is closely integrated with HomeKit, AirPlay, and other Apple services. This would fit well with the strategy of connecting devices and keeping users more closely integrated within the ecosystem. For example, the Apple TV or a HomePod could, in addition to their primary function, also perform networking tasks in the future – for example, as mesh nodes or secondary access points in the home. However, this would require official software integration, about which nothing has been announced so far. Until then, it remains speculation.

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Apple: Between AirPort legacy and future strategy

Apple has withdrawn from the market for traditional Wi-Fi routers, but things are moving technologically. The new chip, which will be installed in the HomePod mini and Apple TV, theoretically offers the potential for new networking features. Whether this will lead to a genuine return or whether Apple simply wants to gain more control over wireless communication in its own devices remains unclear. A traditional AirPort successor is currently not in sight, but the groundwork for a quiet comeback in a different form has been laid. (Image: Shutterstock / Bobkov Evgeniy)