Apple kills off its AirPort wireless routers

Apple has reportedly abandoned the development of wireless routers. Over the past year, the company began shutting down its wireless router team and moved engineers to other product development groups such as the Apple TV unit.

Apple has not released updates to its routers since 2013. The latest disclosure is made by Bloomberg, citing sources who did not wish to be named. The report claims the decision to dissolve the team suggests the company is not planning a new version of routers.

The company is currently selling three wireless routers; AirPort Express, Extreme and Time capsule, costing £79 ($98), £169 and £249 (for 2TB version) respectively.

These products, which are a part of Apple's other products, contribute to a very small part of the company's total revenue. The Other Products category includes Apple Watch and TV that generated $11.1bn in 2016, representing 5% of its total sales.

Some features of the AirPort routers such as music playback requires an iPhone or Mac. If the company ditches its wireless routers, it could be a reason for some people to use other phones and PCs.

The AirPorts lagged behind companies such as D-Link, Netgear and Belkin International, which have adopted new standards of technology for their routers. Apple, on the other hand, has focused more on integrating control of its devices into its computer operating system and industrial design. So Apple's decision to drop the business could be a boon for other wireless routers.

Apple stopped manufacturing external monitors and in October introduced a new strategy for selling them to professional users by launching a new large, high-resolution screen with LG. The monitors come in different sizes such as 21.5in and 27in, with 4K and 5K resolutions respectively. These monitors carry the LG branding but would be sold through Apple retail stores initially. They are compatible with 12in MacBooks and the latest MacBook Pros.