Prospective : Intel has unveiled its timeline for bringing Wi-Fi 7 PCs to market, promising more stable and significantly faster connections for more wireless devices. A few other companies are already getting into Wi-Fi 7 even though its final specs aren’t ready.
This week, Intel revealed that it should have Wi-Fi 7 enabled desktops and laptops by 2024 or 2025. The new wireless connectivity standard (802.11be) could offer connections twice as fast as Wi- Fi 6 and 6E. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) plans to finalize specifications for Wi-Fi 7 in 2024. However, some manufacturers are currently working on draft specifications.
At a press briefing, Eric McLaughlin, Vice President of Intel’s Wireless Solutions Division confirmed company projects.
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“[Wi-Fi 7] will be installed in PC products such as laptops by 2024…we expect it to appear in major markets in 2025,” he said.
Wi-Fi 7 speeds could reach 5.8 gigabytes per second (40 gigabits per second). It achieves faster connections that can carry mobile devices with less interference by simultaneously using the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands and the new 6 GHz. In addition to channel bandwidths of 20, 40, 80, and 160 MHz, Wi-Fi 7 can use 320 MHz. Compatible devices should allow intelligent switching between bands to better manage traffic.
“With 320 MHz channels, we’ll probably see new uses for Wi-Fi where you can do things like know if someone’s in the room, how many people are there, and whether or not they’re moving or static , “said McLaughin. “With the right technology, you can even determine whether or not someone is breathing.”
The current standard, Wi-Fi 6, is barely two years old. It initially used the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for better accessibility via Wi-Fi 5, but Wi-Fi 6E later added 6 GHz compatibility to help ease traffic congestion. Unfortunately, the introduction of Wi-Fi 6E was ill-timed, as pandemic supply chain shocks made it difficult to build the required hardware.
Some manufacturers may skip it in favor of Wi-Fi 7, but reports from last year indicate that the iPhone 14 Support Wi-Fi 6E when it launches this fall. Earlier rumors suggested the iPhone 13 would feature the standard. Apple’s next mixed reality headset is rumored to also use Wi-Fi 6E.
Qualcomm has been talking about Wi-Fi 7 since 2019, when the company said it could beat wired speeds. At this year’s Mobile World Congress in March, Qualcomm unveiled its Wi-Fi 7-enabled FastConnect 7800 chips, with plans to integrate them into most wireless devices.
Chinese networking company H3C announced the Magic BE18000 Wi-Fi 7 router last month. It could be the first modem available on the standard. Depending on the frequency band, its maximum PHY rate varies between 1148 Mbps and an impressive 11530 Mbps.