Unlike iPhone 16 Models, Apple's Newest Macs Lack Wi-Fi 7 Support

Apple introduced new MacBook Air and Mac Studio models this week, adding faster and more efficient M4 and M3 Ultra chips, along with some other updates like Thunderbolt 5 ports for the Mac Studio. One upgrade we have not seen though is support for the latest Wi-Fi specification, Wi-Fi 7.

Apple MacBook Air hero
Both the new M4 MacBook Air and Mac Studio models continue to offer Wi-Fi 6E. While it does offer access to the 6GHz band on supported Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 routers, it's not the latest or fastest technology.

Wi-Fi 7, also known as IEEE 802.11be, promises theoretical speeds up to four times faster than its predecessor, as well as reduced latency and improved handling of multiple device connections. Its standout feature is Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which can combine several frequencies across different bands into a single connection for potentially better performance and stability.

Apple's decision not to equip the new Macs with Wi-Fi 7 isn't completely unexpected, given that the MacBook Pro models with M4 chips launched last year also do not feature Wi-Fi 7 support. Still, it's an odd decision when you consider that all iPhone 16 models released in September include Wi-Fi 7 chips from Broadcom.

That said, the current reality of Wi-Fi 7 adoption makes its absence in Apple's new Macs less significant. Yes, the iPhone 16 series includes Wi-Fi 7 support, but Apple has limited its implementation to the 160MHz bandwidth instead of the full 320MHz that the standard allows. In other words, iPhone 16 models aren't taking full advantage of Wi-Fi 7's potential speed improvements.

Mac Studio 2025
The existing Wi-Fi 6E support in M4 Macs already provides access to the less congested 6GHz band, offering solid performance for current networking needs. Granted, Wi-Fi 7 could have provided some future-proofing for Mac buyers, but its practical benefits won't be widely accessible for some time.

In sum, for most Mac users, the absence of Wi-Fi 7 shouldn't be a deciding factor when considering an M4 Mac purchase. The technology remains in its early stages, and Wi-Fi 6E continues to offer robust performance for typical computing tasks, including video conferencing, cloud gaming, and high-resolution streaming.

Related Roundups: Mac Studio, MacBook Air
Tag: Wi-Fi 7
Related Forums: Mac Studio, MacBook Air

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Top Rated Comments

bviktor Avatar
8 weeks ago
Welp, as long as a WiFi 7 router costs more than a Macbook, it's still kinda okay lol
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mazda 3s Avatar
8 weeks ago

Welp, as long as a WiFi 7 router costs more than a Macbook, it's still kinda okay lol
Uhh, dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers are $99

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Dual-Band-Archer-BE230-HomeShield/dp/B0DC99N2T8/

A tri-band, full-spec Wi-Fi 7 router is $199

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Tri-Band-Archer-BE550-HomeShield/dp/B0CJSNSVMR/
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tomtad Avatar
8 weeks ago
Anyone really bothered?

And presumably with the Studio you’ll be using Ethernet if you need a speedy network
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Orange Bat Avatar
8 weeks ago
On lower-end Macs like the Airs, it’s perfectly acceptable. But on the higher end Studios, they should be wifi 7. Those are supposed to be the best Macs one can buy, but they don’t offer the latest technologies? Not even in the M3 Ultra model that STARTS at $3,999? Not even an extra $500 for the option? That’s pretty lame, and for some could be unacceptable. Apple just makes no sense nowadays.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pelowj Avatar
8 weeks ago
WiFi 7 is the deciding factor for me. Our office is fully equipped with WiFi 7 now, and when it comes to Apple Silicon, my M1 is already more than fast enough for my needs. A processor bump won't make me upgrade on its own.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gsmornot Avatar
8 weeks ago
Here I am, still happily using my AirPort Extreme routers. Yes, I know the world has moved on but I manage based on our needs and so far, we have not needed more. My connection is 500Mb which AC is fine for and anything that would transfer larger files is cable connected. I know I am not the typical user but, the lack of WiFi 7 is fine.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)