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 should you care concerning the fact, it is vital to remain trustworthy and versatile. Information shift, particularly within the tech trade. A lot of our information has to return from leaks, since firms aren’t prepared to say a lot publicly — and traits that have been as soon as set in stone can out of the blue swing the opposite method. Simply ask Disney how assured it is feeling about Disney+ subscriptions lately.

Because the headline suggests, I’ve turned from recommending towards Wi-Fi 7routers a little bit over a yr in the past into being a powerful proponent as we speak. It is not the craziest shift — a yr is a very long time by way of tech cycles — however I really feel it is vital to get the phrase on the market, since I do not need anybody performing on my previous recommendation after they’re seeking to improve their home network. I am going to clarify my rationale as finest 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 yr in the past, Wi-Fi 7 was just a few months previous, and router makers have been charging a premium that simply wasn’t price it for the variety of suitable units in the marketplace. You might find yourself spending nicely over $200 for a standalone router, or frankly obscene quantities for a multi-unit mesh system. It was in all probability price 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 superb. Actually I am nonetheless utilizing a mesh system I purchased in 2022 (the Eero Professional 6E) with none main complaints.

In current instances, the costs for WI-Fi 7 routers have dropped significantly. You continue to get what you pay for, but it surely’s not arduous in any respect to discover a respectable standalone router for lower than $200, and even $150. I would 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 change into. You may already discover a barebones Wi-Fi 7 router for lower than $100, which can be superb should you’re in an condominium with only one or two individuals. By the point the vacation 2025 purchasing season rolls round, I would count on extra routers to slide below that barrier, at the least if excessive US tariffs do not get in the way in which. 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, telephone, pill, and laptop makers have been ramping up the variety of suitable merchandise. Apart from the 16e, all of Apple’s newest iPhones assist Wi-Fi 7, and it is probably that the majority Macs and iPads will observe swimsuit the following 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 would 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 superb to make use of in 2025 — however until your finances is tight, there isn’t any sense limiting your self with new purchases when higher tech is so broadly accessible. 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 when you’ve got loads of smart home equipment — Wi-Fi 6E was an incremental development. It added a quicker 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 entire bandwidth of your community from 9.6Gbps to a whopping 46Gbps. And due to enhancements like Mult-Hyperlink Operation, particular person units 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 sort of throughput to browse the online, play video games, or stream video — 50Mbps is loads 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. Take into account {that a} 4K film you have downloaded may devour anyplace between 5 and 60GB of storage, relying on its size and high quality. At 1Gbps, transferring a 60GB file from one gadget to a different would take about 8 minutes. However at 5.8Gbps, it could take rather less than a minute and a half, and with out placing a lot of a dent in Wi-Fi 7’s total capability.

That sort of bandwidth might change into more and more vital 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 infrequently combine different on-line companies in addition. Already, Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional customers can place persistent widgets round their residence, and setup large 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 could flip into critical bottlenecks given total community masses. There is not any rush to ditch your present router, but it surely’s positively price investing in Wi-Fi 7 as we speak if you would like a community that may maintain up by way of 2030, no matter which units you are fortunate sufficient to personal.

Protection

2500 sq ft

Variety of Gadgets 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 units and overlaying properties as much as 7,500 sq. toes with a three-pack setup. Moreover, the Eero Max 7 serves as a sensible residence hub suitable with Thread, Matter, and Zigbee units.