Wi-Fi 7 is barely in the marketplace and we’re already speaking concerning the subsequent model, Wi-Fi 8. To be extra particular, the IEEE requirements physique has accomplished its first draft of the 802.11bn customary, which is what will likely be often called Wi-Fi 8 to customers.
It’s truly a break from the previous few 802.11 variations in that it doesn’t actually attempt to enhance most bandwidth. As an alternative, almost all the brand new options are centered on reliability. The IEEE calls it “802.11bn Extremely Excessive Reliability,” so you realize what the priorities are.
Wi-Fi 7 already offers a most “within the lab” throughput of as much as 46 gigabits per second, and whilst you’ll by no means get anyplace near that in the actual world, the perfect present Wi-Fi 7 routers are already reaching extra then 2 Gbps in good circumstances, and that can enhance over the subsequent few years.
Right here’s how Wi-Fi 8 goals to supply a wi-fi expertise extra like utilizing a wired connection.
A concentrate on reliability
Qualcomm by no means misses a chance to advertise the subsequent wi-fi requirements, and is often one of many first to help them (even in draft type) in its chips. The corporate has a web page up about Wi-Fi 8, describing a few of its advantages.
The brand new 802.11bn customary focuses on bettering these areas:
Roaming between entry factors: For those who’re in an enormous fitness center or workplace, or an airport or sporting venue, you progress from one Wi-Fi entry level to a different as you stroll round. Wi-Fi 8 will carry one thing known as Single Mobility Domains which can hold you related with steady low latency as you leap between entry factors, with out the hiccups and interruptions you get right now.
Edge reliability: For those who’re on the “edge” of your Wi-Fi vary right now, you understand how it’s not simply slower, it’s unreliable. There’s lag, dropped packets, disconnects and reconnects. Wi-Fi 8 has a set of enhancements that ought to make connections on the edge much more secure.
Cooperative conduct for dense environments: Wi-Fi in actually crowded areas like sporting and music venues or convention facilities wrestle to take care of the big density of related units and a number of entry factors with overlapping areas. The 802.11bn spec introduces methods for a number of entry factors to work collectively cooperatively, dynamically adjusting channels, connections, and energy to ensure they don’t get in one another’s means and everybody stays related.
Getting together with different wi-fi: Trendy units have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and possibly different issues like NFC and UWB. These can intrude with one another, particularly in the event that they share or have close by antennas. Wi-Fi 8 is meant to raised deal with the interruptions the place sources (antennas, radio frequency spectrum, and so forth.) are utilized by one other know-how in the identical system.
Energy effectivity: Everybody desires their units to be extra energy environment friendly. The 802.11bn customary incorporates new methods to understand how a lot energy is getting used and is required to take care of connection, in order that house entry factors and transportable units can use much less energy with out compromising the expertise.
Qualcomm
When will Wi-Fi 8 come to Apple units?
Wi-Fi 8 makes use of the identical frequency bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz) as Wi-Fi 7, and the identical channel dimension, modulation, and extra. Which means a number of the {hardware} will look very very similar to Wi-Fi 7. You’ll want new {hardware}, however it received’t be a dramatic departure from the Wi-Fi 7 {hardware} that will likely be frequent by 2028.
Apple doesn’t have a historical past of dashing to include a brand new draft Wi-Fi customary, but in addition doesn’t wait very lengthy after the usual is formally adopted. For instance, Wi-Fi 7 was formally adopted in early 2024, though units supporting the “draft” customary had been out there the earlier 12 months. Apple’s first Wi-Fi 7 units, the iPhone 16 line, had been launched within the fall of 2024, however the M4 Macs launched in 2025 all help WiFi 6E.
By the point Wi-Fi 8 arrives (estimated to be 2028), Apple could have switched to utilizing its personal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips in almost all its merchandise, so there’s no telling if Apple will likely be among the many first to help the brand new customary or the way it will seem. For instance, the iPhone 16 fashions with WiFi 7 are restricted to 160MHz bandwidth quite than the utmost 320MHz that the Wi-Fi 7 customary permits, although they do help Wi-Fi 7 in all bands and Multi-Hyperlink Operation.
