Unlike iPhone 16 Models, Apple's M4 Macs Lack Wi-Fi 7 Support

[vantelimus]

I will give $100 to anyone who can notice a difference in wifi speed for 6E vs 7 😂

Exactly!

WiFi 4, 802.11n, maxes out at 600Mbsp
WiFi 5, 802.11ac, maxes out at 3.5Gbps
WiFi 6, 802.11ax, and WiFi 6E, both max out at 9.6Gpbs
WiFi 7, 802.11be, maxes out at 46Gpbs.

Most of the people here who complain about the lack of WiFi 7 will be posting through their home Internet connection. The median US household internet speed is less than 250Mbps — far lower than the WiFi 4 theoretical max.

Currently, home internet connectivity above 10 Gbps is virtually non-existent for the general population, as this speed is largely theoretical or limited to select pilot programs and corporate settings. Even 1 Gbps speeds are only accessible to about 88% of U.S. households, with most high-speed services for consumers capped at around 1-2 Gbps. The 10G technology being developed, particularly by cable providers, will make 10 Gbps connections feasible for households, but this is in its infancy.

What router are you going to get? Suppose you could get better than a 10Gbps fiber connection to your house. [Ziply offers 50Gbps connections in limited areas of the US Northwest for $900/month (introductory price — expect a price increase after the first month).]

The current best home WiFi 7 router (The Netgear Orbi 970 Mesh router) advertises 27Gbps throughput, but as a practical matter, tops out at 10Gbps. And if you want that fine top speed of 10Gpbs, you better buy the extra mesh nodes because speed attenuates with distance, obstructions, congestion, and interference.

So, spend $2000 for a 3-node mesh WiFi 7 router from Netgear. (Netgear makes good routers that don’t frustrate you to much to get working correctly. And you don’t have to worry about them snooping your traffic like you have to do with some routers). Then speed $900/month or more if you can even get a 50Gbps link (you probably can’t). Et voila, you have a WiFi 7 setup with the theoretical potential to give you a download orgasm… only you won’t be able to get it up to those speeds. You will be capped at WiFi 6 levels.

So, let’s be real here. A de minimis number of people are going to have better than a 2.5Gbps link. That is still WiFi 5 territory, so even WiFi 6 is overkill. Since WiFi 6/6E are now common, if you have a decent router, you won’t have to worry about squeezing all the bits you can out of your internet connection.

But, sure. Complain that Apple didn’t add a more expensive WiFi link that you’ll never use. I’m sure you’ll be happy to pay extra for potential that may wind up being useful in 5 to 7 years, after you’ve upgraded to an M8 or better.

 

[Anaxarxes]

Mobile phones heavily rely on efficient wireless performance. Wi-Fi 7 uses features like multi-link operation (MLO) and enhanced power management, which can improve both connection stability and energy efficiency on smartphones.

These benefits might be less critical for laptops like MBP.

 

[Edsel]

Reminder - Remember dial-up modems for anyone who thinks 6E is to slow.

https://www.soundjay.com/communication/sounds/dial-up-modem-01.mp3

 

[Adora]

Exactly!

WiFi 4, 802.11n, maxes out at 600Mbsp
WiFi 5, 802.11ac, maxes out at 3.5Gbps
WiFi 6, 802.11ax, and WiFi 6E, both max out at 9.6Gpbs
WiFi 7, 802.11be, maxes out at 46Gpbs.

Most of the people here who complain about the lack of WiFi 7 will be posting through their home Internet connection. The median US household internet speed is less than 250Mbps — far lower than the WiFi 4 theoretical max.

Currently, home internet connectivity above 10 Gbps is virtually non-existent for the general population, as this speed is largely theoretical or limited to select pilot programs and corporate settings. Even 1 Gbps speeds are only accessible to about 88% of U.S. households, with most high-speed services for consumers capped at around 1-2 Gbps. The 10G technology being developed, particularly by cable providers, will make 10 Gbps connections feasible for households, but this is in its infancy.

What router are you going to get? Suppose you could get better than a 10Gbps fiber connection to your house. [Ziply offers 50Gbps connections in limited areas of the US Northwest for $900/month (introductory price — expect a price increase after the first month).]

The current best home WiFi 7 router (The Netgear Orbi 970 Mesh router) advertises 27Gbps throughput, but as a practical matter, tops out at 10Gbps. And if you want that fine top speed of 10Gpbs, you better buy the extra mesh nodes because speed attenuates with distance, obstructions, congestion, and interference.

So, spend $2000 for a 3-node mesh WiFi 7 router from Netgear. (Netgear makes good routers that don’t frustrate you to much to get working correctly. And you don’t have to worry about them snooping your traffic like you have to do with some routers). Then speed $900/month or more if you can even get a 50Gbps link (you probably can’t). Et voila, you have a WiFi 7 setup with the theoretical potential to give you a download orgasm… only you won’t be able to get it up to those speeds. You will be capped at WiFi 6 levels.

So, let’s be real here. A de minimis number of people are going to have better than a 2.5Gbps link. That is still WiFi 5 territory, so even WiFi 6 is overkill. Since WiFi 6/6E are now common, if you have a decent router, you won’t have to worry about squeezing all the bits you can out of your internet connection.

But, sure. Complain that Apple didn’t add a more expensive WiFi link that you’ll never be use. I’m sure you’ll be happy to pay extra for potential that may wind up being used in 5 to 7 years, after you’ve already upgraded to an M8 or better.

Seems for me even WiFi 4 would be enough. At least I have a backup router now after upgrading from 5 to 6. Most of the time only one Mac that is connected by Ethernet and I don't even know if my iPhone supports WiFi 6.

 

[Adora]

Reminder - Remember dial-up modems for anyone who thinks 6E is to slow.

https://www.soundjay.com/communication/sounds/dial-up-modem-01.mp3

I was the lucky one whose father already had ISDN very early in the 90s. But I like that sound.

 

[FastLaneJB]

I will give $100 to anyone who can notice a difference in wifi speed for 6E vs 7 😂

My iPhone 16 Pro Max is twice as fast as my iPhone 15 Pro Max at home and that's on just a WiFi 6 network. Not all of the features in a WiFi 7 chip needs a WiFi 7 AP to get a benefit.

 

[Mackan]

Given that people often keep Macs for several years, it is curious that Apple opted not to offer this bit of future proofing in the Mac line.

That is laughable. Apple's intent is to make any product they sell not future proof. They control every aspect of the hardware and software, and I guarantee that on top of the list is how to not make any product as great as it could have been. For the simple reason of hauling in new money based on planned obsolescence, or otherwise product differentation, making you buying new or having to own multiple products/devices when one would have sufficed.

 

[FastLaneJB]

Brutal mess by Apple. It's insulting to say that you're saving money by not putting them in there. These devices are gonna be used for the next 3 to 5 years on some people. I don't see why they missed putting Wi-Fi seven in them.

If it's truly a price issue, like the Mini where you pay extra for 10GbE then have it as a $50 upgrade for example. Those that don't care can have 6E and those that do can have 7. However I don't believe that's it, there's plenty of cheap Windows laptops with WiFi 7.

 

[ZiBart]

A nothing burger to me, my family and friends. After wifi 4/5 with MIMO introduction, i stopped seeing the real world gains in my use case. Although i wont be upgrading until Face ID and hopefully an oled screen comes (although i have zero complaints with the 120hz mini led). It would be nice for the Pros to shed a couple grams as well.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

(Netgear makes good routers that don’t frustrate you to much to get working correctly. And you don’t have to worry about them snooping your traffic like you have to do with some routers).

Have you read their privacy policy. It’s quite interesting.

 

[Remy149]

Really? Here in Sweden (and most of the Nordic countries) we can eaisly get 1Gbps and even 10Gbps in some areas in Stockholm. In my summer house, in a small village in Spain I have 600Mbps. Where do you live?

In the United States many people who don’t live in a major metropolitan area of a big city have horrible broadband speeds and in some cases none

 

[nostradumbass]

My iPhone 16 Pro Max is twice as fast as my iPhone 15 Pro Max at home and that's on just a WiFi 6 network. Not all of the features in a WiFi 7 chip needs a WiFi 7 AP to get a benefit.

Yeah but I need to gnash my teeth on the internet whenever a new Mac doesn't have the latest wireless gigatronic planetary teleporter chip, even when the latest Mac destroys competitors in most ways.

 

[FastLaneJB]

Honestly, some comments I saw of people mentioning this, it’s tiring. I mean macrumors seems to have been milking article after article these three days.

Just for the record, it’s also “missing” oled screen, improved sd card speeds (I assume), no new design, no Face ID, no higher ram config than m3 max, no cellular, also most importantly no new wallpaper on the box!

Jokes aside, I’m quite happy to see the webcam improved with centre stage, stops me dangling my iPhone on the screen. Playing with llm the super increased bandwidth also great. And brighter screen is another daily win. Not sure what tb5 will do for me.

Well that's how they get clicks and make money, you cannot blame them for that. It's the same game every site has to play unfortunately if they want to survive.

The new MacBooks are a nice upgrade, Thunderbolt 5 surprised me but then so did the lack of WiFi 7. No new design is par for the course as Apple doesn't change their Mac designs very often at all. I'm fine with it though would love for the notch to go at some point.

 

[decafjava]

Gonna use ethernet so no problem. My 15 PM is also plenty fast without wifi 7.

 

[seek3r]

Mine is every day via TB dock on 2.5gbe which I routinely saturate (no not internet, local database crunching - have all the core slamming away (well all - 1, because remember kids to leave 1 core to host the UI! ha, ask me how I know). But WiFi 7 on my phone? For what? If you’re doing heavy data work WiFi just won’t cut it (collision handling is terrible compared to wired). Most people are rarely if ever will go much more than 5 if that other than bursting. I mean apple‘s always proud of how many 4K uncompressed streams they can pump through, but I’d bet 99% the biggest load is streaming tv… which doesn’t even break 100mbit in most cases.

Look, my work laptop is usually that too by that logic, but most folks just use wifi all the time, even for work. Even I do often if I move from my desk to elsewhere in the house or I’m on the road. Wired has been supplanted by wifi for most folks most or all of the time, to the point where I’ve literally heard people call wired connections “wired wifi” as the generic term for internet

 

[seek3r]

At the same time, most people don't have wifi 6E, to say nothing of how many have wifi 7.

I agree, said so earlier in the thread

 

[FastLaneJB]

Yeah but I need to gnash my teeth on the internet whenever a new Mac doesn't have the latest wireless gigatronic planetary teleporter chip, even when the latest Mac destroys competitors in most ways.

I'm not gnashing my teeth as you put it, just merely I don't need to upgrade but was planned to do so but I'll wait one more year for WiFi 7 instead.

Yes the Mac's are great machines but not perfectly obviously.

 

[ifxf]

I would have been happy with the inverse, PCs need the bandwidth more than the iPhone.

Many also keep their computer longer than their phone.

 

[Mark800]

Definitely feels like an interim release. I have Wi-Fi 7 infrastructure and have the new iPhone that supports it. I am looking forward to a new Macbook Pro with OLED screen and Wi-Fi 7. Apple seems to be focusing on faster chips and yet the basic functionality isn't really changing and I'm not really interested in all the Apple intelligence marketing hype. My existing Macbook Pro M2 Max is already fast enough.

 

[DarthDon]

Next year, WiFi 7 will come to MacBooks with the fantasty island 🤣.

 

[Kbaegis]

I will give 200$ to anyone who has sold his WiFi 6(!!) router for a new WiFi 7 device.

(Mine is still a WiFi 5 from 2021)

You owe me $200.

I've got an enterprise 4x4x4 Wifi7 access point. 3 of them, in fact.

 

[Kbaegis]

I am wondering the same since a long time. At least since I had my first iPhone and iPads exist. Why can't they just put a SIM-Card slot in Macs too?

Long story short, the FCC heavily regulates the use of 5G modems.

If you can't turn it into a spying device with direct access to the microphone, known as a roving bug, no FCC license.

 

[SoldOnApple]

How has Apple still not got their own radio chips. How can transitioning the radio chip be harder than transitioning from Intel to ARM?

 

[diddl14]

That's a long article with little factual content. The main question would be if a software update to WiFi7 would be possible or if the (M4) hardware has some limitation (chipset, antenna design, whatever).

 

[dasmb]

If speed matters, you're always going to want a wire.