Wi-Fi 7 is barely in the marketplace and we’re already speaking in regards to the subsequent model, Wi-Fi 8. To be extra particular, the IEEE requirements physique has accomplished its first draft of the 802.11bn commonplace, which is what might be referred to as 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 targeted on reliability. The IEEE calls it “802.11bn Extremely Excessive Reliability,” so you already know what the priorities are.
Wi-Fi 7 already gives 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, one of the best present Wi-Fi 7 routers are already reaching extra then 2 Gbps in good situations, and that may enhance over the following few years.
Right here’s how Wi-Fi 8 goals to offer a wi-fi expertise extra like utilizing a wired connection.
A concentrate on reliability
Qualcomm by no means misses a possibility to advertise the following 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 commonplace focuses on bettering these areas:
Roaming between entry factors: Should you’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 deliver one thing known as Single Mobility Domains which can preserve you linked with steady low latency as you leap between entry factors, with out the hiccups and interruptions you get as we speak.
Edge reliability: Should you’re on the “edge” of your Wi-Fi vary as we speak, 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 steady.
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 massive density of linked gadgets 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 manner and everybody stays linked.
Getting together with different wi-fi: Fashionable gadgets have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and possibly different issues like NFC and UWB. These can intervene with one another, particularly in the event that they share or have close by antennas. Wi-Fi 8 is meant to higher deal with the interruptions the place assets (antennas, radio frequency spectrum, and so on.) are utilized by one other know-how in the identical system.
Energy effectivity: Everybody desires their gadgets to be extra energy environment friendly. The 802.11bn commonplace incorporates new methods to understand how a lot energy is getting used and is required to take care of a very good connection, in order that dwelling entry factors and moveable gadgets can use much less energy with out compromising the expertise.
Qualcomm
When will Wi-Fi 8 come to Apple gadgets?
Wi-Fi 8 makes use of the identical frequency bands (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz) as Wi-Fi 7, and the identical channel measurement, modulation, and extra. Meaning numerous the {hardware} will look very very like Wi-Fi 7. You’ll want new {hardware}, however it gained’t be a dramatic departure from the Wi-Fi 7 {hardware} that might be frequent by 2028.
Apple doesn’t have a historical past of dashing to include a brand new draft Wi-Fi commonplace, 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, regardless that gadgets supporting the “draft” commonplace have been accessible the earlier 12 months. Apple’s first Wi-Fi 7 gadgets, the iPhone 16 line, have 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 may have switched to utilizing its personal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips in almost all its merchandise, so there’s no telling if Apple might be among the many first to help the brand new commonplace or the way it will seem. For instance, the iPhone 16 fashions with WiFi 7 are restricted to 160MHz bandwidth moderately than the utmost 320MHz that the Wi-Fi 7 commonplace permits, although they do help Wi-Fi 7 in all bands and Multi-Hyperlink Operation.