Apple AirPort Return? HomePod & Apple TV May Become Wi-Fi Routers

Apple AirPort Return? HomePod & Apple TV May Become Wi-Fi Routers

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Apple offered a line of Wi-Fi routers that it referred to as AirPort base stations. There was a standard AirPort Express, a higher-end AirPort Extreme with more advanced networking features, and an AirPort Time Capsule that doubled as an external storage drive for backing up a Mac with Time Machine. Apple AirPort Routers Apple discontinued the AirPort line in 2018, but the company could return to the Wi-Fi router market in an unexpected way in the future. Back in December, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple was developing its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that will debut in new Apple TV and HomePod mini models later this year. He said the chip is "so sophisticated" that it could "theoretically" turn these devices into a wireless access point. However, it is unclear if Apple will actually follow through with that idea, so temper your expectations for the time being. Apple is reportedly aiming to make a bigger push into smart h…