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Apple Officially Discontinues its AirPort Wireless Routers

Apple Officially Discontinues its AirPort Wireless Routers

(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. is discontinuing its line of AirPort Wi-Fi routers after not updating the devices for about five years.

The routers let Macs, iPhones, iPads and products from other companies connect to the internet wirelessly. Apple had three versions -- the AirPort Extreme, which worked over greater distances, a cheaper and smaller unit called AirPort Express, and a version that could store files called the AirPort Time Capsule.

The company plans to sell the remaining inventory, a spokesman said Thursday.

Bloomberg News reported more than a year ago that Apple had abandoned development of the routers. The products were a slim part of Apple’s revenue and their demise won’t have a meaningful impact on the company.

Many phone and cable companies provide Wi-Fi connections with their internet services. Netgear Inc. and D-Link Corp. also make wireless routers.

Apple rarely discontinues product categories. The last line to be dropped was external computer monitors, and Apple has already said it would go back to designing its own in the near future.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Gurman in San Francisco at mgurman1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net, Rob Golum, Dan Reichl

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.