Wi-Fi 7 is the latest and fastest version of Wi-Fi and is available on various gadgets in the market. Although the first routers supporting it began appearing on the market in 2023, this next generation of Wi-Fi was officially launched for consumers in early 2024 when the Wi-Fi Alliance introduced the Wi-Fi Certified 7 program. This program ensures interoperability between brands and that certified devices support mandatory Wi-Fi 7 features. However, despite more than two years since the launch of the Wi-Fi Certified 7 program, the availability of Wi-Fi 7 compatible devices remains limited.
This isn’t completely surprising for a new generation of Wi-Fi, especially one that is overkill for most home customers and is in its infancy. Limited availability means you can’t just assume most modern gadgets support it. For example, virtually all devices introduced before January 2024, with the exception of some routers and a few other gadgets, do not support Wi-Fi 7. This means that if you are planning to purchase a new Wi-Fi router and are considering upgrading to a Wi-Fi 7 router, it makes sense to consider whether you own or plan to acquire Wi-Fi 7 compatible devices. To verify, check the device specifications provided by the manufacturer. Wi-Fi 7 usually appears as Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 802.11 be, or Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be in the documentation. If you don’t see Wi-Fi specifications, your best bet is to contact the manufacturer.
Smartphone makers are first to adopt Wi-Fi 7
Smartphone makers were among the first to jump on the Wi-Fi 7 bandwagon. Chinese brand Xiaomi announced its 13 Pro smartphone in December 2022 with Wi-Fi 7 support. This was even before the TP-Link Archer BE900, considered the first commercially available Wi-Fi 7 router, hit store shelves. Others quickly followed, and other smartphone brands completely adopted Wi-Fi 7. For example, all of Apple’s iPhone 16 and 17 series models, except the iPhone 16e and 17e, come with Wi-Fi 7. Likewise, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 and S26 lines, excluding the FE models, support Wi-Fi 7. The latest three generations of the Google Pixel and OnePlus flagship phones also support Wi-Fi 7. supports the latest Wi-Fi standards.
The same goes for flagship tablets. Apple, Samsung and OnePlus have added Wi-Fi 7 to their high-end and flagship tablets. Desktop and laptop brands aren’t too far behind, and the latest Wi-Fi is increasingly available on high-end models, including those running Intel Core Ultra (Series 1 and 2), AMD Ryzen 9000/AI, and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite/Plus (Gen 1 and 2). In other gadgets, some gaming consoles including Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro, MSI Claw 8 AI+, AYN Thor and AYN Odin 3 have also upgraded to the latest Wi-Fi generation.
However, beyond certain phones, tablets, computers and gaming consoles, the industry as a whole still uses older wireless standards on its devices. For example, smart TVs, smartwatches, wearable devices, and streaming media players continue to use Wi-Fi 6E or older generations. The same goes for wireless security cameras, various smart home devices, and wireless printers.
Why adoption has been limited
Although Wi-Fi 7 is incredibly fast and powerful, its adoption has been limited to high-end gadgets for a variety of reasons. For example, licensing of 6 GHz spectrum remains an issue in many parts of the world. While the United States has opened the 6 GHz wireless band for unlicensed use, this is not the case in parts of Europe, Asia and Latin America. Without this band, these regions cannot fully benefit from several Wi-Fi 7 features that depend on it. Average home Internet speeds are still around 300 Mbps, and Wi-Fi 7 hardware, designed for multi-GB speeds, is overkill for them. So it doesn’t make sense for the vast majority of customers to upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 hardware.
Additionally, essential smart home gadgets, reliable wireless printers, and other devices don’t require the bandwidth of Wi-Fi 7 because they typically transmit a few kilobytes of data. As a result, it makes sense for manufacturers to stick with older, cheaper Wi-Fi hardware. Higher patent licensing costs could be another reason holding back adoption of Wi-Fi 7. Manufacturers must pay licensing fees for standard essential patents (SEPs) to companies like Huawei, Intel, and Qualcomm, and it may not be financially viable to integrate Wi-Fi 7 into their more affordable devices.
The bottom line is that Wi-Fi 7 may remain limited to high-end hardware for the immediate future, especially in a world where the AI boom is already driving up component prices. However, as component costs drop and home internet speeds increase, we should see it appear in more affordable hardware.
