Joe Rosensteel: It’s Time for a New AirPort

networking underpins everything that Apple does care about. Every Mac, iPad, Apple TV, HomePod, Vision Pro, and most importantly every iPhone. The iPhone is a cellular device, but when you’re at home, you’re on your Wi-Fi network. If your iPhone and your wireless router aren’t playing well together than you are an unhappy person.

It really feels to me like Apple thought the router market was commoditized and boring, they stopped making routers, and then basically immediately mesh routers at home became a mainstream thing with Eero (founded 1 year after the last AirPort released) and Nest Wi-Fi (and I’m sure others) releasing mesh Wi-Fi systems with nice user interfaces and much pricier products.

Apple doesn’t need to be in every market, but I do agree with Joe’s point that basically everything Apple makes relies on good wireless networks to deliver the best experience, and it makes sense for Apple to get back in the game.