Then when you have just set up the new Wi-Fi 6 router and you’re streaming smoothly, along comes Wi-Fi 7, its advertising promising to be faster, better, and more efficient. Any tech enthusiast is bound to be excited about such a next-generation Wi-Fi upgrade. The problem, of course, is that with all this hype comes a very big question: Should you upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 now, or hold off?
Wi-Fi 7 is yet to be born in its infancy and already entering high-end gadgets and routers. It promises much better performances than its predecessor, though again, like everything new, comes at an added cost. So, if you have been looking to enjoy Wi-Fi 7 in your home or office, it’s necessary to ask whether you really must jump into it now or wait until the technology’s mainstreaming. Of course, if you already have fiber optic internet and a good Wi-Fi 6 setup, the question gets really tricky: Will Wi-Fi 7 actually change your internet experience enough for the price?
Let’s break down the pros and cons and explore at what point this would be the right time for you to make this leap.
What’s So Special about Wi-Fi 7?
Wi-Fi 7, or the 802.11be standard, is something that’s promised as big for wireless technology, but what does it really bring to the table? In simple words: speed, efficiency, and it allows servicing for more devices. The theoretical overhead speed for Wi-Fi 7 is supposed to be greater than for Wi-Fi 6 (that is, up to 46 Gbps though real-world applications usually drop the score).
But it does not just claim raw speed; Wi-Fi 7 also offers wider channel bandwidths and better multi-client communication. This ensures that the network could serve more devices very efficiently and has excellent potential to be used by homes or offices with a growing number of smart devices, consoles that deploy gaming services, and streaming services.
If you are one of those people who rely on fiber optic internet and are already enjoying the speeds, then you can be sure that the move to Wi-Fi 7 is definitely going to enhance the experience, especially if you have a large family or use it quite much.
Are Your Gadgets Wi-Fi 7 Enabled?
If you are to consider an upgrade to Wi-Fi 7, possibly one of the things that come to mind is your devices. A new router is one thing, but for you to fully enjoy its benefits, your smartphones, laptops, smart TVs, and other gadgets must be able to support it.
Currently, most devices in the market do not support Wi-Fi 7—most are still running on Wi-Fi 6 or even older standards, Wi-Fi 5.
You won’t get much out of Wi-Fi 7, in terms of hand-on experience, if it isn’t ready to be used on your devices. Your router is powerful, but the real-world benefits will be constrained to the extent that the rest of your tech hasn’t caught up yet.
That means for most homes, it will probably make more sense to wait until after there are a lot more available Wi-Fi 7-compatible devices. By then, the prices on Wi-Fi 7 routers will likely have come down and you can fully take advantage of the upgrade.
Do You Really Need Wi-Fi 7’s Speed Now?
Let’s face it: most of us just don’t push our Wi-Fi networks nearly as hard these days as the hypothetical ideal case. Unless you are a professional gamer, content creator, or managing a household with multiple families all streaming 4K video at the same time and playing online games, your current Wi-Fi setup might be more than enough for your needs.
If you need a performance boost, Wi-Fi 7 does promise quite an impressive increase in speed. In fact, though Wi-Fi 6 is fast enough for any average home user, Wi-Fi 7 can offer an even more powerful network. For example, if you already have fiber optic internet, the speeds are so high that just updating your router may not make a huge difference, since most of the time, you’re only using your router for browsing, streaming, or video conferencing.
Of course, if you are a person that downloads gigantic files often, streams content at the highest resolutions possible, or simply have a large, rapidly growing number of smart devices, Wi-Fi 7 is likely to be the difference-maker, especially as more and more devices will become Wi-Fi 7-compatible with time.
Price vs. Performance: Is It Worth the Early Adoption?
Of course, any new technology will find a price to pay, and Wi-Fi 7 is no exception. As of now, Wi-Fi 7 routers can be found with a considerably higher price compared with Wi-Fi 6 models. It’s the early adopters who have to pay more to be ahead of the curve with the latest greatest tech, though owning cutting-edge gear is undeniably an attractive proposition. Still, there’s a factor to consider in whether such high prices justify the potential gains in performance.
If your current Wi-Fi installation meets your requirements, then you might do best to wait. Prices on Wi-Fi 7 routers likely will drop as the technology increasingly becomes mainstream. So you may only have to wait several years before new improvements become too far out of reach for anybody to make sense of missing out on the new chip’s extra oomph.
On the other hand, if refreshing a whole-home network is on your docket and it will be supporting new devices for at least the next few years, then waiting for Wi-Fi 7 now is a worthwhile investment. Indeed, because compatibility will gain steam in the next few years, having a Wi-Fi 7 router will ensure that new devices can be pushed into your network with minimal fuss.
The Future-Proofing Argument
One of the biggest selling points of Wi-Fi 7 is future-proofing. It means spending in a Wi-Fi 7 router today in practice ensures that your home or office network will be prepared for tomorrow’s demands. Smart homes are getting ever so smart day by day, and the number of connected devices is increasing every day. So, a lot of devices and more data at faster speeds has a very attracting kind of appeal.
This is especially the case if you are going to be residing in a specific house or office for a long time, and you need a network that grows with you. Wi-Fi 7 will be the norm in a few years, and early adopters will be in great positions to take advantage of its capabilities as more and more devices compatible with Wi-Fi 7 become available.
So, Should You Upgrade Now or Wait?
It really depends on your needs and tech habits. If you already run a smart home with tons of connected devices, use ultra-fast internet speeds in the household, or just want to future-proof your network, then Wi-Fi 7 might be worth it.
Yet if your Wi-Fi 6 setup can handle everything you need with ease, then don’t have to upgrade this year. Waiting a year or two could put the cost at its lowest, enhance the availability of compatible devices, and ease the jarring transition into the next generation of Wi-Fi.
That is to say, most people should wait till Wi-Fi 7 becomes extensive and available. At that time you would probably have devices that you could utilize and enhance their benefits, and you will feel the full impact of this great power device without going broke.
In the meantime, here’s to hoping that such advantage-bringers as 2 Gbps/2.16 Gbps will come with an earlier release of Wi-Fi 6, so enjoy the speed and reliability already brought by fiber optic internet and Wi-Fi 6, and keep an eye open for the future of Wi-Fi 7.
