Amazon Acquired Eero So Who Is The Apple Of Wi Fi Routers

Over recent years, mesh Wi-Fi systems have become incredibly popular. Options like eero and Google Wi-Fi are generally consumer-friendly in terms of ease-of-use and setup. They both feature slick iOS apps and are easy to manage on a day-to-day basis, but they are far from perfect.

Eero’s privacy policy currently says it collects data for optimizing Wi-Fi performance, usage data, crash reports, and other performance details.

— Geoffrey A. Fowler (@geoffreyfowler) February 11, 2019

One of the other popular mesh Wi-Fi systems is Google Wi-Fi. There’s an inherent distrust among many people when it comes to Google, whether warranted or not. Netgear’s Orbi lineup is also a good option, but in our full review we noted that “you can easily imagine how an Apple approach to mesh Wi-Fi would be superior.”

Another interesting option is Ubiquiti’s lineup of networking gear. Ubiquiti was founded by Robert Pera, who worked on Apple networking projects until 2005. Ubiquiti products, however, aren’t nearly as consumer-friendly as AirPort products (usually) were. Amplifi is another popular choice, but the design leaves a bit to be desired for some Apple fans.

A missed opportunity for Apple

It’s not necessarily acquiring eero that’s a missed opportunity for Apple. What is a missed opportunity for Apple, however, is not being involved in the recent wave of seemingly consumer-friendly, mesh Wi-Fi systems. As Bradley Chambers argued last December, Apple exited the home Wi-Fi market at exactly the wrong time.

Apple officially left the router business in April of 2018, but the AirPort line of accessories was stagnant long before then. A Bloomberg report in 2016 said that Apple had stopped developing AirPort products, moving employees to other initiatives. This suggests that Apple’s home Wi-Fi efforts were dead long before it officially made the announcement.

For Apple fans and those looking for a consumer-friendly and privacy-focused mesh networking system, options are slimming up.

Apple currently leans heavily on the Linksys Velop and sells various combinations of the system via the Apple store. The Velop is similar in some ways to Apple’s AirPort accessories, including its tower-like design. On the other hand, it lacks the integration with Apple’s ecosystem that users desire.

In 2019, there are so many ways an Apple-branded mesh networking system could improve the experience of Apple devices. Integration with HomeKit, HomePod, and Apple TV could be incredibly seamless. Apple’s privacy-focused attitude would be a welcomed voice in the consumer Wi-Fi category. Imagine a HomePod-like or AirPods-like setup process for your router and various access points.

To me, it feels like there’s a hole in the Wi-Fi hardware market for consumers. There are good options available, but far too many people rely on rented hardware from their internet service providers. I’m not sure whether this is for the sake of ease or a lack of awareness that using your own hardware is even possible, or something else entirely.

I do, however, think Apple had the opportunity to lead the way in mesh networking with a focus on privacy, integration with its ecosystem, and design. One of the biggest appeals of Apple has always been the integration of its different product lines.

The Wi-Fi industry has improved drastically over recent years, and I think it’s a shame that Apple bowed out instead of adding its signature touch to a mesh networking system. What do you think? Let us know down in the comments.

A missed opportunity for Apple#

A missed opportunity for Apple