Will that be an Apple made router??!
Currently shopping for a router and all available options are terrible; with Ubiquiti abandoning their consumer market.
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Kuo: All iPhone 17 Models Will Feature Apple-Designed Wi-Fi Chip to 'Enhance Connectivity'
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Currently shopping for a router and all available options are terrible; with Ubiquiti abandoning their consumer market.
Yes, low-bandwidth applications such as movie/TV-watching won't benefit much.
However there are applications and circumstances where the increased bandwidth could be of great benefit. The Vision Pro uses a lot of bandwidth when in Mac Virtual Display mode. More bandwidth and lower latency will only benefit this important feature of the Vision Pro. Ditto for VR/AR applications on the VP.
Apple should definitely re-enter the router market. This upcoming Wi-Fi chip would be the perfect opportunity to resurrect the AirPort product line.
As for Ubiquiti, they make powerful gear but it's not suitable for the many who don't have technical knowledge and inclination -- i.e. the majority of Apple's customer base. Apple could make a lot of money by bringing back the AirPort, not to mention serve their loyal customers who are hungry for an integrated, performant, secure solution backed by Apple support.
I have some technical knowledge but looking for an all-in-one router that has multiple ethernet port switches built-in, like the AirPort Extreme. With Ubiquiti, the Unifi and Alien are handicapped in functionality or their Pro line is piecemeal.
My biggest concern if Apple resurrect Airport, is that they also handicap functionality for power users who want options. The AirPort Extreme was pretty good except for Guest Network configuration options.
Apple’s custom WiFi 7 solution needs to do 320 MHz as well as functional MLO on multiple bands, otherwise if it is 160 MHz like iPhone 16 Pro/Max it will just be no more than a glorified WiFi 6E solution.
Actually the 16e dos support mmWave if you look at the space from apple’s website and here
They should launch a new Airport Extreme to use the full potential of this new chip. Even better would be to release new Home Pods that would act as mesh router nodes. I would buy 4 of them even if they were priced $500 or more a piece.
I wonder if Apple will move away from Magsafe on the Air model since it was dropped for the 16E model.
The reasons (and wildly guessing now) is that the thin design might not have space for magnets or that the C1 chip might not be working well with magsafe. The last one doesn't sound likely but still strange that they dropped it for the 16E.
The reasons (and wildly guessing now) is that the thin design might not have space for magnets or that the C1 chip might not be working well with magsafe. The last one doesn't sound likely but still strange that they dropped it for the 16E.
You sound like you think Android manufacturers invented silicon-carbon batteries. I would like to let you know that it's just an over the shelf component that is available to anyone who wants to use it. Not something that Samsung or Huawei invented.
From chatGPT:
and finally, and most importantly...
That is a good point, one has to wonder about how GSAT might fit into that. It is good the 16e has satellite connectivity for emergency SOS etc. Anyway, we know Apple likes to have as much control as possible and now that there is a lot of crossover with things like T-Mobile with the texts via Starlink, Apple vs GSAT, talk about both internet and voice over Starlink and (potentially) GSAT. If Apple had the choice I suspect they'd prefer GSAT to Starlink because they want more control than they could probably have with Starlink. And they've put a lot of money into GSAT to increase their network.
Anyway, the "in house juggernaut" comment above brought that to mind. Would they just buy GSAT if GSAT builds out their network successfully to bring more in house?
Nope, not at all.
Incorrect assumption, but I appreciate your post
(sort of -- not really into AI output as a post)
Just a nod to how when Apple starts using it, it'll get touted around here as some revolution pioneered by Apple
Apple's C1 Modem Debut Suggests iPhone 17 Air Will Lack mmWave
Apple's first custom-designed modem chip, the C1, has finally made its debut in the iPhone 16e, which Apple announced on Wednesday. It's a...
www.macrumors.com
Well that’s just peachy keen, now give us a router to go with our apple designed WiFi chips.
I get what you're saying and I don't disagree that achieving the same or better results with a hardware component for less can translate to retail prices of those products remaining the same at least for another generation possibly longer. But to anyone being upset that internal company savings don't get passed down to buyers, you clearly are not a business owner and don't think like one. The top tech companies, Apple, Google and Microsoft are not multi-trillion dollar companies because they are in the business of eating potential profit to save their customers a buck.
How is it going to enhance connectivity? It's all about not paying Qualcomm. We're not dumb. There's nothing wrong with doing this to save money but don't act like it's some service to the customers when it isn't
Given tariffs, inflation, and the EVC pricing policy favored by capitalism, the reduced cost of materials will be eaten up by other factors.
I cringe when the word router is used synonymously with wifi connectivity. It feels like a punch to the scroto baggins.
For those who have been using the iPhone SE series, mmWave was not part of the Qualcomm modem, either. It almost feels as though you have to be sitting next to a tower with no obstructions to use mmWave technology anyway.
My concern is that the C1 5G modem will be poor at connectivity, just to save some money. The same goes for the WiFi connectivity with this new chip.
even with a QUALCOMM modem the previous generation SE didn’t have MMWave.
Neither do any of the 5G iPads, again with QUALCOMM chips.
Also true with any international iPhones.
So is it even safe to say that the lack of MMWave is an actual limitation of the Apple modem? Or, is it possible They literally just left it out intentionally due to lack of utility?
Neither do any of the 5G iPads, again with QUALCOMM chips.
Also true with any international iPhones.
So is it even safe to say that the lack of MMWave is an actual limitation of the Apple modem? Or, is it possible They literally just left it out intentionally due to lack of utility?
I wonder if Apple will finally start using Thread to communicate with home devices or other Apple products.
Maybe by owning the chip they can more seamlessly switch between Thread and Bluetooth.
Others probably know more about this. Just curious.
www.theverge.com
Maybe by owning the chip they can more seamlessly switch between Thread and Bluetooth.
Others probably know more about this. Just curious.
Here’s why Apple put a Thread radio in the iPhone 15 Pro
Could Thread one day replace Bluetooth in Apple’s ecosystem?
www.theverge.com
For those unaware, Ubiquiti was founded by an ex-Apple Airport engineer, Robert Pera. I wouldn't say they left the consumer market, but they certainly are focused on enterprise applications. The Dream Machine is comparable in cost to other routers, albeit some outdated protocol (no WiFi 6E, let alone 7), but there is a learning curve with the console/UniFi Gateway aspect. It would be interesting to see a collaboration between Apple and Ubiquiti to make a more seamless experience for Apple users, with Apple benefitting by not committing to new supply lines etc.
I personally have a Dream Machine SE with a U6 Pro access point, love them. My only complaint is no HKSV for UniFi Protect, Homebridge is erratic and annoying.
I personally think this is a fantastic first step. Cellular chips are significantly harder to engineer (and manufacture) than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth chips. It’ll be much better to get some more accurate real world data with these chips before they go full out on their cellular chips in the non-budget iPhones