![]() Apple has scoffed at this and the new AirPort Extreme is solid, weighing in at a hefty 945g, and the casing is clearly cut in a single piece with beautifully drilled port and power slots. Typically we forgive routers their somewhat hollow and cheap plastic construction because of the protests that this is needed to let signal pass through. In short, the company has rewritten the rule book for router design.Ĭonstruction is outstanding, too. This might seem glib for a product which is essentially a white, angular tube, but the result is a router that is both minimalist and eye-catching and the gentle curves are simple yet dramatic enough that we can imagine Jonathan Ive agonising with his protractor for weeks.Ī nice touch is Apple has built in the power supply to keep cabling neat. This being Apple ‘rebuilt for speed’ isn’t the only motivation, there is no doubt that ‘rebuilt for style’ was also a key consideration as the AirPort Extreme is by far the best looking router we have ever seen. It also reduces the Extreme’s desktop footprint by 64 per cent with the base measuring just 98 x 98mm compared to the 16.5 x 16.5mm of its predecessor. The logic is the switch in form factor allows Apple to position the antennas at the top, creating a higher platform for signal dispersal. So what does this spruce up entail? Gone is the formerly flat, traditional rectangular design of the 2011 edition to be replaced by what can only be described as a white, elongated Apple TV (see comparison above). Left, 2013 AirPort Express right, 2013 AirPort Extreme SEE ALSO: 802.11ac vs 802.11n: what’s the difference? Given the previous AirPort Extreme was released over two years ago, Apple has also overhauled the design, which the company claims is “rebuilt for speed”. The big news this time around is Apple has added the next generation 802.11ac wireless standard to bring it up to date with the latest flagship routers from the likes of Asus, D-Link, Linksys and Netgear. While Apple could dive back into the Wi-Fi router space in the future, the company is clearly focusing more on other categories at the moment, including the smart home space with HomeKit, augmented reality with ARKit, its smartphone lineup, and others.What is the Apple AirPort Extreme (2013)?Īs the brackets suggest, this is the 2013 edition of Apple’s AirPort Extreme wireless router. There's also a lot of competition in the high-end and mesh router world, with Google, Linksys, and Netgear all having their own options for power users. Many customers now get wireless routers from Internet service providers, and those that are built into the providers' hardware are typically good enough for most users. Wireless networking wasn't as ubiquitous then as it is now. In the two decades since the introduction of the AirPort family, the Wi-Fi world has changed quite a bit. Apple will sell off its remaining inventory through, Apple retail stores, and Apple authorized resellers "while supplies last." The company will also continue to provide hardware and software support for AirPort customers for the time being. Further Reading Review: Comparing Google Wifi to other mesh networking heavyweightsThe company hasn't updated any of the AirPort devices in nearly five years as it has focused more on other product categories.
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