I did not suppose 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 case you care concerning the reality, it is necessary to remain sincere and versatile. Information 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 traits that had been as soon as set in stone can abruptly swing the opposite method. 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 somewhat over a 12 months in the past into being a powerful proponent right now. It isn’t 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— however I really feel it is necessary to get the phrase on the market, since I do not need anybody appearing on my outdated recommendation after they’re seeking to improve their home network. I will clarify my rationale as finest I can.

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

A shocking push

As you’d anticipate, the principle issue is value. A 12 months in the past, Wi-Fi 7 was just a few months outdated, and router makers had been charging a premium that simply wasn’t value it for the variety of suitable gadgets in the marketplace. You could possibly find yourself spending effectively over $200 for a standalone router, or frankly obscene quantities for a multi-unit mesh system. It was most likely 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 had been functioning simply high quality. In reality 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, nevertheless it’s not laborious in any respect to discover a first rate standalone router for lower than $200, and even $150. I might advocate spending upwards of $500 if you are going to choose up a mesh bundle, however that is really 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 stunned at how aggressive costs have change into. You possibly can already discover a barebones Wi-Fi 7 router for lower than $100, which can be high quality in case you’re in an condominium with only one or two individuals. By the point the vacation 2025 procuring 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 most likely more and more low cost to fabricate Wi-Fi 7 elements.

Concurrently, cellphone, pill, and laptop makers have been ramping up the variety of suitable merchandise. Aside from the 16e, all of Apple’s newest iPhones help Wi-Fi 7, and it is doubtless that the majority Macs and iPads will comply with go well with the subsequent time they get a refresh. In the meantime, the tech has more and more change into 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 high quality 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 broadly obtainable. 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 major enchancment over Wi-Fi 5 — significantly you probably have numerous 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 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 doubtlessly 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 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 usually 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 sort 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 hardly ever 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. Think about {that a} 4K film you’ve got downloaded may eat wherever between 5 and 60GB of storage, relying on its size and high quality. At 1Gbps, transferring a 60GB file from one machine 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 sort of bandwidth may change into more and more necessary not only for native file sharing, however for augmented and digital actuality, that are poised to change into extra mainstream within the subsequent few years due to 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 in addition. 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 change into commonplace, at which level Wi-Fi 6 and 6E might flip into severe bottlenecks given general community hundreds. There is no rush to ditch your present router, nevertheless it’s undoubtedly value investing in Wi-Fi 7 right now in order for you a community that can maintain up by means of 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 expertise, delivering spectacular speeds of as much as 9.4 Gbps wired and 4.3 Gbps wirelessly, whereas supporting over 200 related gadgets and overlaying houses as much as 7,500 sq. toes with a three-pack setup. Moreover, the Eero Max 7 serves as a sensible house hub suitable with Thread, Matter, and Zigbee gadgets.