AirPort Express Stock Shortages Hint at Potential 802.11ac Update
Various Apple Store locations across the United States, as well as major third-party Mac retailers such as Best Buy, are experiencing a diminishing stock of Apple’s AirPort Express in recent days, reports AppleInsider. The shortages may be due to Apple beginning to slow shipments of the Wi-Fi base station ahead of an update, although it may also simply be a temporary blip in the product's availability.
While not a clear indication that a new version is imminent, the stock-outs are notable as supply of the Express has been consistent since it was last refreshed over a year ago. The timing is also suspect given the first AirPort Express debuted in 2004, with Apple releasing two subsequent generations at four-year intervals. The last iteration featured a redesign and dual-band 802.11n compatibility.
The AirPort Express was updated last year with a design similar to the Apple TV set-top box as well as new features including simultaneous dual-band 802.11n connectivity for improved performance. Earlier this year, a new Broadcom Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card supporting the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard surfaced and that standard has since been appearing in Apple’s latest Macs and new versions of the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule base stations introduced back in June. It seems likely that any update to the AirPort Express would bring similar support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
The current-generation AirPort Express sells for $99.
Popular Stories
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple is today providing developers with the first betas of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, with the new software introducing an early version of the Apple Intelligence features. These new betas will be in testing alongside the current iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia 15 betas. Developers can choose whether to opt into the new betas with Apple Intelligence, or stay on the ...
Apple Intelligence will miss its initial expected launch date to give Apple more time to fix bugs, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. According to individuals with knowledge about Apple's plans, the company now plans to start rolling out Apple Intelligence in software updates by October, arriving several weeks after the launch of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. This means that Apple...
T-Mobile customers have filed a lawsuit [PDF] against the carrier, alleging that it failed to honor a guarantee not to raise the prices of select cellular plans. The lawsuit, first spotted by Wired, claims that back in 2017, T-Mobile advertised several of its plans with a price lock, but then went on to increase prices starting in May 2024. "T-Mobile ONE customers keep their price until...
