For more than a decade, Apple offered a lineup of WiFi routers that it promoted as “AirPort” base stations, The lineup, which was discontinued in 2018, included the AirPort Express, the AirPort Extreme, and the AirPort Time Capsule.
Now Apple is reportedly considering a return to the WiFi router market in a somewhat unexpected way.
In December, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that Apple was developing its own Bluetooth and WiFi chip that will be used in new HomePod mini and Apple TV models later this year. Gurman said the chip is so sophisticated that it could turn those devices into wireless access points.
Apple is reportedly gearing up for a big push into the smart home market, with the company rumored to be developing an all-new smart home hub that could be released later this year. Alongside the much-rumored HomeKit-enabled smart home camera that, with the hub, could form the basis for a home security system. If Apple’s new HomePod and Apple TV models could include WiFi router capabilities, it could provide a good foothold in the smart home market.
Gurman says Apple’s new chip will support WiFi 6E, while Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu says the chip will actually support Wi-Fi 7.
