Business · Engadget
Since the Wi-Fi Alliance's rolled out the new standard in early 2024
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 source. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
Fortunately, Wi-Fi 7 is backwards compatible, meaning that old printer you bought at a cousin's garage sale will connect to new routers without a hitch.
Key facts
- While Apple's iPhone 17 lineup does support it, the lack of 320 MHz channel support means identical performance in theory, regardless of whether it connects to a Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7 router
- Keep in mind that cheaper dual-band options like the TP-Link Archer BE230 may lack support for the 6 GHz band and 320 MHz channels
- With Wi-Fi 8 set to arrive in 2028, there's no telling how pricey future routers will become as the AI boom drives up costs
- Since the Wi-Fi Alliance's launched the new standard in early 2024, devices and routers with Wi-Fi 7 support have become more common
Summary
There are improvements, but broad adoption of the new standard has been slow. If you're in the market for a new router, Wi-Fi 7 promises a better user experience in congested environments. Terms like 4K-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) and Multi-Link Operation can sound more like technobabble than meaningful improvements. Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 routers can be worth the extra cost when compared to older ones, especially if your home internet is congested by a family's worth of personal devices.