Apple was withdrawn from the Wi-Fi router market by terminating the Airport series in 2018. At that time, the company focused on certain product groups on the hardware side, while developing complementary devices such as routers. However, recent developments suggest that Apple can return to this market with a different approach. The company’s entering the process of developing its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips further strengthens this possibility. So much so that devices such as Apple TV and Homepod Mini can be transformed into a wireless access point in the future.
This strategic move for Apple’s wireless connection technologies is considered part of the company’s effort to increase its independence in the supply chain. The iPhone models currently on the market use combined chips by Broadcom for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. However, Apple wants to end this addiction in the coming years. According to leaked information, the company aims to switch to the Wi-Fi chips that it designed completely with its iPhone 17 models in 2025. This step not only strengthens the integration between Apple products, but also means an important development in terms of performance and reliability.
Apple’s wireless connection strategy can shape future router plans
Apple’s new chips developed will support Wi-Fi 6E and even Wi-Fi 7 technology. The Wi-Fi 7 theoretically can offer data speeds exceeding 40 GBPS and provide up to four times higher performance than Wi-Fi 6E. It is known that Apple wants to provide deeper integration with smart devices, especially for home ecosystem. In this context, a Wi-Fi router technology to be integrated into HomePod and Apple TV models can be part of Apple’s smart home strategy. Thus, the company can enable users to establish faster and more uninterrupted connections between multiple devices.
The company’s starting to use its own wireless chips may not be limited to devices such as iPhone and Mac. Apple is expected to include its own Wi-Fi chips in its long run in its long run, iPad, Macbook and even Vision Pro. However, Apple’s new chips can not only increase connection speeds, but also improve energy efficiency. A Wi-Fi chip that consumes less power will provide a great advantage, especially in terms of extending battery life, especially on mobile devices. All this is very important in terms of understanding how Apple follows the path of wireless technology.
The allegations about Apple’s return to the Wi-Fi router market are not yet finalized. However, these new steps taken by the company in the wireless connection area make a possible return to Airport more realistic. The company’s strategy can be shaped to integrate Wi-Fi router technology into the existing ecosystem instead of producing an independent router. For example, developing a central smart home hub for homeland compatible devices can enable Apple to increase its interest in this field in the coming years. Considering the success of the company on hardware and software integration, it can be said that such a move is a logical step for Apple.
Although Apple remains unclear whether it will revive the Airport series, the company’s investments in wireless connection technologies are remarkable. By improving their own chips, increasing the control of the hardware side will clearly reveal how Apple will follow the direction in the future. In the light of these developments, Apple seems to be quite possible to introduce smart home devices containing its own Wi-Fi technology and play a more active role in the wireless connection market. It will not be surprising that Apple has entered this field with new products in the coming years to make users have a faster, safe and efficient Wi-Fi experience.