Wi-Fi 6E is already doing a great job with its 6GHz band, offering pretty amazing performance and speeds. But the 7th generation of Wi-Fi is about to take things to a whole new level.
It's 2024 and we expect lighting-fast internet as a basic requirement. Imagine downloading movies or games in an instant, that's the kind of speeds Wi-Fi 7 is capable of.
The Wi-Fi Alliance announced its Wi-Fi 7 earlier this week, promising faster transfer speeds and reduced latency.
Wi-Fi 7 is expected to reach speeds of up to 46Gbps - that's five times faster than the current standard of Wi-Fi 6E's 9Gbps!
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This is huge news, especially with its integrated support for new devices that require super-fast internet.
Wi-Fi 6 was built in response to the growing number of devices in the world, however, Wi-Fi 7's goal is to deliver exceptional speeds for every tech device with greater efficiency and output.
Moreover, in places with access to the 6GHz band, Wi-Fi 7 is doubling the channel size. This means our Wi-Fi can handle more devices and activities without getting all clogged up and slow.
The 16 stream also allows every connected device to have enough bandwidth to run smoothly.
Wi-Fi 7 also comes with something called 4K QAM. Without getting too technical, the Wi-Fi lets us send 20% more data at once compared to what we're doing with Wi-Fi 6E.
Kevin Robinson, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance, said: 'The introduction of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7 marks the emergence of the latest generation of Wi-Fi and will be an accelerant to mass adoption of Wi-Fi 7.
'This certification underscores our relentless commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology that redefines the way users experience Wi-Fi, providing faster speeds, improved efficiency, and increased reliability which expand the horizons of what is possible through Wi-Fi.'
It may be some time before we see smartphones support the new Wi-Fi standard.
However, according to Haitung Securities analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will be the first Apple devices to work with Wi-Fi 7 in 2024. Both of which are expected to be released in September.
Additionally, Wi-Fi 7 will perfectly blend with virtual reality devices like the Vision Pro.
But, the question is whether Apple can integrate Wi-Fi 7 support in time for its launch on February 2nd, 2024.
If you're thinking of upgrading your Wi-Fi, it may be too soon to do so at the minute since there will be a lack of support until the Wi-Fi scales its launch. However, it is something to keep in mind if you're upgrading your smartphone or other tech gadgets this year.