What is Wi-Fi 7? Exploring the Differences Over Previous Wi-Fi Standards

CNET

12 hours ago

With every new generation, Wi-Fi routers improve their ability to tackle high-demand applications and high-density environments. This remains the case with Wi-Fi 7. Improvements to speed, latency and reliability are at its core. However, its real impact might be clearest when it's used for augmented or virtual reality.
The first Wi-Fi 7 routers were introduced in 2023, but they've become increasingly affordable in 2025 as the major router manufacturers have launched their own Wi-Fi 7 lines. They also got a big bump when the latest iPhone 16 models were released with support for the new wireless standard.
The Wi-Fi Alliance, a network of over 900 companies that develops and certifies Wi-Fi technology, officially launched its 'Wi-Fi 7 Certified' program in January 2024. Since then, devices like phones, laptops and routers have been eligible for its stamp of approval.
The Wi-Fi 7 certification had been anticipated as early as 2019, when Wi-Fi 6 was still brand new. To take advantage of those benefits, you'll need both a Wi-Fi 7 router and a Wi-Fi 7 device, and both are becoming increasingly available. Like previous standards, Wi-Fi 7 is backward compatible, so a Wi-Fi 7 router will still work with a Wi-Fi 6 device, and vice versa.
Maureen Gallagher, Vice President of Marketing at Wi-Fi Alliance, told CNET that she expects Wi-Fi 7 to have a major impact on things like AR/VR/XR, autonomous driving and network congestion. "Wi-Fi 7 helps users overcome congestion and interference in large or crowded venues -- like conferences or stadiums -- bringing improved user experiences in areas with densely packed devices or neighboring networks that overlap," she said.
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Routers from Asus, Eero, Neatgear and TP-Link have been using the Wi-Fi 7 label for over a year, but they're now getting the official Wi-Fi logo when they pass the Wi-Fi Alliance's certification tests.
What is Wi-Fi 7?
Wi-Fi 7 refers to the seventh generation of wireless technology, coming on the heels of Wi-Fi 6 (launched in 2019) and Wi-Fi 6E (2020). It's a collection of technology standards created by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers; the official IEEE standard for Wi-Fi 7 is 802.11be. The Wi-Fi Alliance officially launched Wi-Fi 7 in January 2024, followed by new routers, phones and laptops with the Wi-Fi 7 seal of approval.
In order to take advantage of Wi-Fi 7 features, both your router and the device it's connecting to will require Wi-Fi 7 hardware. (You can find out if a device is certified Wi-Fi 7 on the alliance's product finder.)
How does Wi-Fi 7 work?
Wi-Fi 7 still uses the same three bands as Wi-Fi 6E: 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz. So why is Wi-Fi 7 such an improvement? It comes down to wider channels. Wi-Fi 7 doubles the channel size of the 6GHz band, going from 160MHz to 320MHz. Think of it like a highway going from two to four lanes -- the amount of data that can be transmitted at once will be drastically increased. A typical Wi-Fi 7 laptop could reach a 'potential maximum' of 5.8Gbps -- 2.4 times faster than the 2.4Gbps possible with Wi-Fi 6/6E, according to Intel, one of the companies producing Wi-Fi 7-certified chipsets.
The other significant step forward for Wi-Fi 7 is Multi-Link Operation (MLO). Wi-Fi 6 and 6E provided access to multiple bands, but devices could only connect to one band at a time. MLO allows Wi-Fi 7 devices to simultaneously connect on two bands. That results in faster speeds, but it also means improved reliability and ultra-low latency. Let's go back to the highway analogy. On older versions of Wi-Fi, cars could only travel in one lane at a time, moving to a different lane if there was a traffic jam. With MLO, cars will be able to travel across two highways at the same time, avoiding the slowdowns that come with traffic jams.
The Wi-Fi Alliance
Do I need new equipment for Wi-Fi 7?
You'll need two devices to take advantage of these benefits: a Wi-Fi 7 router and a Wi-Fi 7 device to connect to it. Fortunately, Wi-Fi 7 is fully backward compatible, so you'll be able to use your older devices with a Wi-Fi 7 router, or a Wi-Fi 7 phone with a Wi-Fi 6 router -- you just won't reap the Wi-Fi 7 benefits.
When can I get Wi-Fi 7 devices?
There are dozens of Wi-Fi 7 routers currently available, and new devices like phones, laptops, and smart home gadgets are increasingly equipped with Wi-Fi 7. The Wi-Fi Alliance estimates that over 233 million Wi-Fi 7 devices have entered the market and will grow to 2.1 billion devices by 2028.
That doesn't mean you need to run out and replace your router immediately. Devices like phones, laptops and gaming systems with Wi-Fi 7 aren't quite the norm yet. That has started to change with Apple's iPhone 16 release. Companies like Broadcom, Intel, MediaTek and Qualcomm have also begun producing Wi-Fi 7-certified chipsets, which the Wi-Fi Alliance has used as a test bed for certification. There is typically about a year or two gap between the certification announcement and devices becoming widely available, so we should start to see more Wi-Fi 7 phones, laptops and other devices this year.
Wi-Fi 7 FAQs
What is Wi-Fi 7?
Wi-Fi 7 is the next generation of Wi-Fi technology, the seventh generation of wireless technology. The Wi-Fi Alliance officially launched Wi-Fi 7 in January 2024, which prompted new routers, phones and laptops to have the Wi-Fi 7 seal of approval. It's important to note that your router and device must be certified for Wi-Fi 7 to take advantage of this technology. To learn more, check if your device is certified for Wi-Fi 7.
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Is Wi-Fi 7 better than Wi-Fi 6?
When paired with a compatible router and device, Wi-Fi 7 features faster speeds, improved latency, reliability and the increased ability to handle multiple devices simultaneously compared to Wi-Fi 6.
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