Wi-Fi 7: what's new and is a Wi-Fi 7 router worth buying

Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) is the seventh generation of Wi-Fi. Its main new features are wider channels up to 320 MHz, more efficient data coding and MLO, which lets a device use several bands at once.

Wi-Fi 7 and MLO: data travels over several bands at once

In plain words

Wi-Fi is the road between your router and your phone. Wi-Fi 6 added proper lane markings and traffic lights so cars didn't sit in jams. Wi-Fi 7 made the road twice as wide (320 MHz) and lets one car drive on several roads in parallel - that's MLO. If one road is jammed, data takes another.

How it works

The router and device exchange data in the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands.
Wi-Fi 7 can use channels up to 320 MHz wide - double the maximum in Wi-Fi 6.
4096-QAM coding packs more data into each "radio signal".
MLO (Multi-Link Operation) sends data over several bands at once - faster and more stable.
Top speed is only reached when both the router and the device support Wi-Fi 7.

Wi-Fi 7 has channels twice as wide

Where you'll see it

Wi-Fi 7 is listed in the specs of routers (often with a BE label: BE3600, BE5000, BE19000), flagship smartphones, tablets and laptops. In our router comparisons it's in the "Wi-Fi", "Wi-Fi speed" and "MLO" rows. Not every Wi-Fi 7 router has the 6 GHz band, and its availability depends on each country's rules.

Does it matter when buying

If you're buying a router now for several years, affordable Wi-Fi 7 models cost only a little more than Wi-Fi 6, so I'd go for it. But don't expect miracles: if your internet plan is 100-500 Mbit/s and the phones at home are old, your Speedtest result will barely change. You gain stability, lower latency and headroom for the future.

Myths

Myth: Wi-Fi 7 will speed up my internet. Reality: It speeds up the link between router and device. Your internet speed itself is set by your provider's plan.
Myth: BE19000 means my phone will get 19 Gbit/s. Reality: It's the sum of all bands' maximums in lab conditions. A single device gets many times less.

FAQ

Will old devices work with a Wi-Fi 7 router?

Yes, the standard is fully compatible with Wi-Fi 6, 5 and 4.

What does BE3600 mean?

The total maximum Wi-Fi speed of all bands - about 3600 Mbit/s. "BE" indicates Wi-Fi 7.

Do I need 6 GHz?

It's preferable: it has the widest channels and less interference. But even without 6 GHz, Wi-Fi 7 brings MLO and the new coding.