I did not assume I wanted a Wi-Fi 7 router till this occurred

It is uncommon for commentators like myself to publicly acknowledge altering their minds, however should you care concerning the fact, it is essential to remain trustworthy and versatile. Information shift, particularly within the tech trade. A lot of our information has to return from leaks, since corporations aren’t prepared to say a lot publicly — and tendencies that have been as soon as set in stone can all of a sudden swing the opposite approach. Simply ask Disney how assured it is feeling about Disney+ subscriptions today.

Because the headline suggests, I’ve turned from recommending in opposition to Wi-Fi 7routers slightly over a 12 months in the past into being a powerful proponent at the moment. It is not the craziest shift — a 12 months is a very long time when it comes to tech cycles — however I really feel it is essential to get the phrase on the market, since I do not need anybody performing on my outdated recommendation after they’re trying to improve their home network. I am going to clarify my rationale as finest I can.

Why the change of coronary heart on Wi-Fi 7?

A stunning push

As you’d anticipate, the primary issue is worth. A 12 months in the past, Wi-Fi 7 was just a few months outdated, and router makers have been charging a premium that simply wasn’t price it for the variety of appropriate units in the marketplace. You would find yourself spending effectively over $200 for a standalone router, or frankly obscene quantities for a multi-unit mesh system. It was in all probability price it for patrons with ample money and a necessity for futureproofing, however there was no rush for the remainder of us when Wi-Fi 6 and 6E have been functioning simply positive. In truth I am nonetheless utilizing a mesh system I purchased in 2022 (the Eero Professional 6E) with none main complaints.

In latest occasions, the costs for WI-Fi 7 routers have dropped significantly. You continue to get what you pay for, however it’s not arduous in any respect to discover a first rate standalone router for lower than $200, and even $150. I might suggest spending upwards of $500 if you are going to choose up a mesh bundle, however that is truly a fairly whole lot for one thing that may blanket a three-story home. I paid much more for my very own gear.

I have been genuinely shocked at how aggressive costs have turn out to be. You possibly can already discover a barebones Wi-Fi 7 router for lower than $100, which can be positive should you’re in an house with only one or two folks. By the point the vacation 2025 buying season rolls round, I might anticipate extra routers to slide underneath that barrier, a minimum of if excessive US tariffs do not get in the best way. Chalk it as much as economies of scale — it is in all probability more and more low-cost to fabricate Wi-Fi 7 parts.

Concurrently, telephone, pill, and laptop makers have been ramping up the variety of appropriate merchandise. Apart from the 16e, all of Apple’s newest iPhones help Wi-Fi 7, and it is possible that almost all Macs and iPads will comply with swimsuit the following time they get a refresh. In the meantime, the tech has more and more turn out to be de facto for Home windows computer systems, to the purpose that I would mechanically transfer on if I noticed 6E talked about in a brand new PC’s specs. As I hinted a second in the past, 6E stays positive to make use of in 2025 — however except your funds is tight, there isn’t any sense limiting your self with new purchases when higher tech is so extensively out there. You may very well find yourself spending extra ultimately in case your Wi-Fi begins holding you again.

Why Wi-Fi 7 issues a lot

A basic leap ahead

Though Wi-Fi 6 was a big enchancment over Wi-Fi 5 — significantly when you have a variety of smart home equipment — Wi-Fi 6E was an incremental development. It added a sooner 6GHz radio, however that was about it. In lots of circumstances, the 6GHz band is not even that helpful. Its vary is so brief that it won’t lengthen far past the room a router is in. Most 6E site visitors nonetheless operates over the two.4 and 5GHz bands.

Wi-Fi 7 can probably make an enormous distinction. For one factor, it expands the overall bandwidth of your community from 9.6Gbps to a whopping 46Gbps. And because of enhancements like Mult-Hyperlink Operation, particular person units can obtain speeds close to 5.8Gbps. Over Wi-Fi 6E, you are fortunate if a tool reaches 1 or 2Gbps. Actual-world outcomes are typically a lot decrease. Over my very own 6E community, my iPhone 16 Professional will get about 440Mbps when related to gigabit fiber web, albeit with a streaming service or two operating within the background.

Wi Fi 7 is so highly effective that it is truly overkill for many functions. You do not want that type of throughput to browse the online, play video games, or stream video — 50Mbps is a lot for a 4K film. Most landline web connections aren’t over the 1Gbps mark but, so there’s not often something like 5.8Gbps to separate over a community, not to mention 46Gbps.

The place the tech actually issues is with device-to-device connections in your personal house. Take into account {that a} 4K film you’ve got downloaded would possibly devour wherever between 5 and 60GB of storage, relying on its size and high quality. At 1Gbps, transferring a 60GB file from one gadget to a different would take about 8 minutes. However at 5.8Gbps, it could take rather less than a minute and a half, and with out placing a lot of a dent in Wi-Fi 7’s total capability.

That type of bandwidth may turn out to be more and more essential not only for native file sharing, however for augmented and digital actuality, that are poised to turn out to be extra mainstream within the subsequent few years because of glasses from Apple, Meta, and Google. It is one factor to push 4K video to your laptop computer — it is fairly one other to stream real-time 3D environments that mix in with the world round you, and infrequently combine different on-line providers besides. Already, Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional customers can place persistent widgets round their house, and setup enormous digital screens for his or her Macs.

In the long term, multi-gigabit web connections ought to turn out to be commonplace, at which level Wi-Fi 6 and 6E could flip into critical bottlenecks given total community masses. There is no rush to ditch your present router, however it’s undoubtedly price investing in Wi-Fi 7 at the moment if you would like a community that can maintain up via 2030, no matter which units you are fortunate sufficient to personal.

Protection

2500 sq ft

Variety of Gadgets Supported

200+

Velocity

9.4 Gbps (wired), 4.3 Gbps (wi-fi)

Wi-Fi Protocols

Wi-Fi 7

Ports

2x 2.5GbE, 2x 10GbE

The Eero Max 7 is Amazon’s first mesh Wi-Fi system using Wi-Fi 7 know-how, delivering spectacular speeds of as much as 9.4 Gbps wired and 4.3 Gbps wirelessly, whereas supporting over 200 related units and overlaying properties as much as 7,500 sq. ft with a three-pack setup. Moreover, the Eero Max 7 serves as a sensible house hub appropriate with Thread, Matter, and Zigbee units.