Apple has disbanded the hardware division responsible for its AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule products, according to a report from Bloomberg. The reassignment of employees signals that the company is making a quiet exit from the home router business — just as competitors like Google increase their focus on providing consumers with speedy, reliable Wi-Fi connectivity that blankets entire homes.

Apple’s router products were last updated in 2013 with support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi. But that was long before companies like Eero, Netgear, Google and others began manufacturing router systems that use a mesh network approach for better whole-home coverage. Apple’s AirPort devices, which remain available for sale, range in price…

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