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 in the event you care in regards to the fact, it is necessary to remain sincere and versatile. Details shift, particularly within the tech trade. A lot of our information has to come back from leaks, since firms aren’t prepared to say a lot publicly — and tendencies that have been as soon as set in stone can instantly swing the opposite means. Simply ask Disney how assured it is feeling about Disney+ subscriptions nowadays.

Because the headline suggests, I’ve turned from recommending towards Wi-Fi 7routers a bit of over a 12 months in the past into being a robust proponent at this time. It is not the craziest shift — a 12 months is a very long time by way of tech cycles — however I really feel it is necessary to get the phrase on the market, since I do not need anybody appearing on my previous recommendation after they’re seeking to improve their home network. I am going to clarify my rationale as greatest I can.

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

A stunning push

As you’d count on, the principle issue is value. A 12 months in the past, Wi-Fi 7 was just a few months previous, and router makers have been charging a premium that simply wasn’t value it for the variety of appropriate gadgets in the marketplace. You possibly can 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 value it for consumers 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 instances, the costs for WI-Fi 7 routers have dropped significantly. You continue to get what you pay for, nevertheless 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 decide up a mesh bundle, however that is really a reasonably 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 may already discover a barebones Wi-Fi 7 router for lower than $100, which can be positive in the event you’re in an house with only one or two individuals. By the point the vacation 2025 procuring season rolls round, I might count on extra routers to slide beneath that barrier, not less than 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, cellphone, pill, and pc makers have been ramping up the variety of appropriate merchandise. Aside from the 16e, all of Apple’s newest iPhones help Wi-Fi 7, and it is probably that the majority Macs and iPads will comply with swimsuit the subsequent 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’d routinely 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 until your finances is tight, there is not 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 elementary leap ahead

Though Wi-Fi 6 was a big enchancment over Wi-Fi 5 — notably you probably have numerous smart home equipment — Wi-Fi 6E was an incremental development. It added a quicker 6GHz radio, however that was about it. In lots of instances, the 6GHz band is not even that helpful. Its vary is so quick that it won’t prolong far past the room a router is in. Most 6E 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 full bandwidth of your community from 9.6Gbps to a whopping 46Gbps. And due to enhancements like Mult-Hyperlink Operation, particular person gadgets 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 really 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 residence. Contemplate {that a} 4K film you have 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 system to a different would take about 8 minutes. However at 5.8Gbps, it will take rather less than a minute and a half, and with out placing a lot of a dent in Wi-Fi 7’s general capability.

That type of bandwidth might turn out to be more and more necessary 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 sometimes combine different on-line providers as well. Already, Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional customers can place persistent widgets round their residence, and setup big 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 general community hundreds. There is no rush to ditch your present router, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly value investing in Wi-Fi 7 at this time in order for you a community that can maintain up by 2030, no matter which gadgets you are fortunate sufficient to personal.

Protection

2500 sq ft

Variety of Units Supported

200+

Pace

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 gadgets and masking properties as much as 7,500 sq. ft with a three-pack setup. Moreover, the Eero Max 7 serves as a wise residence hub appropriate with Thread, Matter, and Zigbee gadgets.