There are sure to be splashier announcements at CES, but few will make as much of a subtle difference in your day-to-day life as the new Wi-Fi 7.
The Wi-Fi Alliance has released the official certification for Wi-Fi 7, enabling devices that pass its standards to be labeled “Wi-Fi 7 Certified”. We have already reviewed pre-certified Wi-Fi 7 mesh systems like the Eero Max 7 and TP-Link Deco BE85, but they are very expensive and likely overkill for most folks. With the official certification release, we can expect a fresh wave of more affordable Wi-Fi 7 routers and devices.
Wi-Fi 7 opens up the 6-GHz band and brings a host of improvements, including wider 320 MHz channels for increased throughput and multi-link operation (MLO), so devices can connect on more than one band at a time. The upgrade means lower latency, increased efficiency, and greater reliability.
While most folks can afford to wait, early adopters might want to take a look, but you will need Wi-Fi 7 devices to take full advantage. Only a handful of smartphones and laptops currently support the new standard, but with all the major chip makers including Qualcomm, Broadcom, Intel, and MediaTek, now pushing Wi-Fi 7 chipsets, that will soon change.
For a deeper look, check out our article from earlier this morning.