“Apple’s AirPort line may be discontinued, but AirPort Express got one heck of an update today,” Zac Hall reports for 9to5Mac. “Firmware update 7.8 for the latest AirPort Express hardware (2012 2nd-gen model, no longer sold) adds support for AirPlay 2 and Apple’s Home app.”
“AirPort Express features a built-in AUX port that lets you wireless[ly] stream music to a connected speaker over line-in. The router has long been used as a solution for adding classic peer-to-peer AirPlay to traditional stereo systems, but there were no guarantees that AirPlay 2 would ever be supported,” Hall reports. “With AirPlay 2 support, you can AirPlay from iOS to multiple AirPlay 2 speakers including HomePod, Apple TV-connected speakers, Sonos, and other AirPlay 2 targets.”
“The firmware update needed is available through the AirPort Utility app on iOS and macOS (although the iOS version remains letterboxed on iPhone X),” Hall reports. “AirPlay 2 and Home support for AirPort Express works on both iOS 11.4.1 and iOS 12.”
More info and links in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: AirPort Express gets a life extension!
Awesome! Updating tonight.
That this is an desirable update to a product no longer made and could point to something ahead not yet released?
It sure seems like an “AirPlay Central,” like a router can be, would be a no brainer for Apple’s ecosystem?