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

[OGdrknight]

I wouldn’t expect WiFi 7 until the next refresh because the majority don’t even have WiFi 6e routers yet. I myself only have a nighthawk that supports WiFi 6.

If I’m gaming, I prefer using our 1 gigabit ethernet that is wired through out the house.

 

[PabloM]

Considering iPhone 16 only has wifi7 that operates at 160mhz instead of the full 320mhz you’re only getting wifi7 light instead of full speed wifi7. Wifi7 full spectrum with active MLO is beneficial to all wifi6, 6E and 7 devices. The issue right now is router manufacturers are having some difficulty in implementing wifi7 because of differing standards worldwide.
The reason you see dual band and Tri band wifi7 routers right now. You can purchase Tri band wifi7 routers now in the US for less than $200.

 

[Remy149]

Anyone spending $2000-$15000 on a pro workstation (Mac Studio...) would be well served to spend a couple hundred bucks to string ethernet around the baseboards.

I recently ran a long Ethernet cable along my baseboards in my living room from my router to my desk. Took only 30 minutes to do it and only because I wanted to make sure the wire wasn’t very noticeable. There will always be people in these comments that will complain if Apple doesn’t throw the most cutting edge spec in a machine. They even complain when it’s low end devices like the entry level iPad

 

[PabloM]

Exactly I just upgraded to an Eero 6e mesh system last year and the price difference was not worth buying WiFi 7

This. It is absurd how much they cost right now.

Theres triband wifi7 routers available in the US for less than $200. I just upgraded a wifi7 mesh system that covers 6000 sq. ft. for less than $400.

 

[Rogifan]

" While it does offer access to the 6GHz band on supported Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers, it's not the latest or fastest technology."

And that’s all the techie wannabes care about. The real market couldn’t care less. Okay then rage on techies.

I’m sure there are plenty of users who have a perfectly good iPhone 15 that doesn’t support Apple Intelligence because it doesn’t have enough RAM. Apple really can be bad a future proofing devices.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I recently ran a long Ethernet cable along my baseboards in my living room from my router to my desk. Took only 30 minutes to do it and only because I wanted to make sure the wire wasn’t very noticeable. There will always be people in these comments that will complain if Apple doesn’t throw the most cutting edge spec in a machine. They even complain when it’s low end devices like the entry level iPad

You've been groomed well by Apple to expect less. FWIW, I don't think running a long ethernet cable to a new MacBook Air so you can run around the house in wired mode (with an ethernet dongle dangling from one of the two USB-C ports) doesn't sound very portable.

In the Windows world, the latest $1000 laptops with newest Lunar Lake CPU's come with WiFi 7 and will be future-proof for when WiFi 7 routers are more affordable.

 

[LogicalApex]

It's not really a huge benefit for home networks. It's more beneficial in heavily congested areas.

Wifi has always been a chicken egg problem of wireless cards vs APs. Usually the APs come first, but that's taking a while this time. At least for the prices to come down to what people have come to expect.

I’d say 7 is really beneficial to the home market as adoption increases.

The biggest win for WiFi 7 is that it is the first WiFi version that allows simultaneous connection across all bands. So 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz. Meaning you no longer need to “roam” between bands as you move around. It also allows greater speeds when you’re in range of multiple bands.

So it is easier to setup and use for home users than previous generations.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Here I am, still happily using my AirPort Extreme routers. Yes, I know the world has moved on but I manage based on our needs and so far, we have not needed more. My connection is 500Mb which AC is fine for and anything that would transfer larger files is cable connected. I know I am not the typical user but, the lack of WiFi 7 is fine.

The main benefit for normal home users of wifi7 (or even, wifi6) over your current wifi5 is not speed but rather handling multiple simultaneous connections and dealing with congestion. The newer standards have a more robust MU-MIMO support, and multi-link operations. These things aren't about speed per se, but rather about making each single connection more reliable.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I don't see a major need for WiFi 7 (802.11be) currently because relatively few routers out there support WiFi 7 unless you're willing to pay top dollar for a decent one. (There's only one cable modem router that support WiFi 7, the Arris G54, and that's a pretty expensive model.) WiFi 6E is more than enough for most home users for now.

 

[Remy149]

You've been groomed well by Apple to expect less. FWIW, I don't think running a long ethernet cable to a new MacBook Air so you can run around the house in wired mode (with an ethernet dongle dangling from one of the two USB-C ports) doesn't sound very portable.

In the Windows world, the latest $1000 laptops with newest Lunar Lake CPU's come with WiFi 7 and will be future-proof for when WiFi 7 routers are more affordable.

Then sounds like you should buy a windows machine if you something like WiFi 7 is so important

 

[ChrisA]

I bought the $100 upgrade to 10 gigabit Ethernet. It offers the most reliable way to access networked data.

People who are only using WiFi to access the Internet likely don't have faster than 1 gigabit service so faster local networking would be wasted.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I’d say 7 is really beneficial to the home market as adoption increases.

The biggest win for WiFi 7 is that it is the first WiFi version that allows simultaneous connection across all bands. So 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz. Meaning you no longer need to “roam” between bands as you move around. It also allows greater speeds when you’re in range of multiple bands.

So it is easier to setup and use for home users than previous generations.

Yeah exactly, and it’s taken so long I had forgotten that’s the killer feature I was waiting for. 6E can use 6GHz but has to hop just like 2.4/5GHz currently and it can be annoying. Really want all three of the bands to work together like 7 promises to finally implement.

 

[dizmonk]

The main benefit for normal home users of wifi7 (or even, wifi6) over your current wifi5 is not speed but rather handling multiple simultaneous connections and dealing with congestion. The newer standards have a more robust MU-MIMO support, and multi-link operations. These things aren't about speed per se, but rather about making each single connection more reliable.

I understand your point. I think it was both in my case. More and more devices and wanting to get closer to the speed I'm actually paying Comcast for.

 

[PabloM]

Yeah exactly, and it’s taken so long I had forgotten that’s the killer feature I was waiting for. 6E can use 6GHz but has to hop just like 2.4/5GHz currently and it can be annoying. Really want all three of the bands to work together like 7 promises to finally implement.

It does, through MLO. If you have the router and the clients it’s a fantastic thing to use.

 

[dkh587]

" While it does offer access to the 6GHz band on supported Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers, it's not the latest or fastest technology."

And that’s all the techie wannabes care about. The real market couldn’t care less. Okay then rage on techies.

Right. Most people don’t know there are different versions of WiFi…

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Right. Most people don’t know there are different versions of WiFi…

...and about half the ones that do know, don't care. I'm in that camp.

 

[switz]

When at home, does saving a minute of time on a download really impact your life? Or even five minutes?

That's just enough time to go get a drink of water/coffee/pop and void the bladder.

 

[flybass]

Then sounds like you should buy a windows machine if you something like WiFi 7 is so important

I really wish people on this message board would stop saying "well why don't you get a windows" when other devices are mentioned in the context of cost/value comparisons. We're all apple fans at the end of the day.

 

[Remy149]

You've been groomed well by Apple to expect less. FWIW, I don't think running a long ethernet cable to a new MacBook Air so you can run around the house in wired mode (with an ethernet dongle dangling from one of the two USB-C ports) doesn't sound very portable.

In the Windows world, the latest $1000 laptops with newest Lunar Lake CPU's come with WiFi 7 and will be future-proof for when WiFi 7 routers are more affordable.

Then sounds like you should buy a windows machine if you something like WiFi 7 is so important

I really wish people on this message board would stop saying "well why don't you get a windows" when other devices are mentioned in the context of cost/value comparisons. We're all apple fans at the end of the day.

once again if a product cost/value isn’t working for you. Why wouldn’t you buy the product that meets your needs. I wish people like you would stop pretending as if what you expect out of a product isn’t what the majority of the customers care about. Very few people I know even know there are different WiFi specs. I only know one other person who isn’t using their isp provided router.

 

[beermode]

" While it does offer access to the 6GHz band on supported Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers, it's not the latest or fastest technology."

And that’s all the techie wannabes care about. The real market couldn’t care less. Okay then rage on techies.

Yep. My work has WiFi 6 and we don't need 6E or 7. It would be a monumental waste to replace hundreds of AP's that work perfectly for little noticeable difference in performance.

 

[beermode]

You can get WiFi 7 routers for WAYYY cheaper than a MacBook. Not all WiFi 7 routers cost a ton. Prices have dropped a lot on many of them.

He's probably talking about a Mesh package. Those are still $$$ for 7.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I bought the $100 upgrade to 10 gigabit Ethernet. It offers the most reliable way to access networked data.

People who are only using WiFi to access the Internet likely don't have faster than 1 gigabit service so faster local networking would be wasted.

WiFi 7 (802.11be) makes way more sense if you have a LOT of devices that need to be connected to WiFi. In fact, if you stream 1080p video from streaming services you really only need about 15-17 mbps data rate at most.

 

[svish]

Not going to miss this and also was not expecting the new Air to have this. Expecting to see Macs with WiFi 7 support in the next 12 months.

 

[Ethosik]

If you’re buying a pricey M3 Ultra Mac Studio then you probably aren’t overly concerned about the price of wifi. Also, mesh routers will lower in price over time, and since most will have their machines for years to come, the ability to upgrade your wifi system would be nice to have.

If you are buying a pricey M3 Ultra Mac Studio, you would be better set up for 25Gb or 40 Gb networking vs WiFi. I’m glad I set up my fiber network instead of chasing WiFi which always was a problem.

 

[seek3r]

Wi-fi 7 mesh routers are much more pricy. I have to have three access points to cover my house, and then I have another in the garage.

Plus my current wifi 6 APs handle everything just fine.

same thing here, I'm still using AC at home, considering upgrading to 6e this year, may wait one more year and see if prices on 6e fall a bit more with 7 getting more popular