Wi-Fi 7 is the newest Wi-Fi standard, released after Wi-Fi 6E. But should you upgrade to Wi-Fi 7, or stick with Wi-Fi 6E for a while longer? To answer that, it’s important to understand the differences between the two and what each offers.

In this article, we will explore what Wi-Fi 6E & Wi-Fi 7 are, how they differ, and whether upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 makes sense for you.

Wi-Fi 6E vs 7: Key Basics

What is Wi-Fi 6E?

Wi-Fi 6E is an extended version of Wi-Fi 6, the 6th generation of Wi-Fi. It was released in 2020.

Both Wi-Fi 6E & Wi-Fi 7 share the same IEEE standard 802.11ax. However, they differ in several key areas.

Wi-Fi 6E works across three Wi-Fi bands. In addition to the 2.4GHz & 5GHz bands, it also uses a new 6GHz band.

What is Wi-Fi 7?

Wi-Fi 7, which uses the IEEE standard 802.11be, was launched in January 2024.

Like Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7 also works on three bands: 2.4GHz, 5GHz, & 6GHz. However, Wi-Fi 7 offers faster speeds, lower latency, broader channels, and more.

Wi-Fi 6E vs 7: Key Differences

The main difference between Wi-Fi 6E & Wi-Fi 7 lies in their generation & technology standard. Wi-Fi 7 uses newer tech with added features, delivering better performance.

For example, Wi-Fi 7 has Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows devices to connect to two different Wi-Fi bands simultaneously. Let’s look at some other major differences.

Speed

Wi-Fi 6E & Wi-Fi 7 show a big difference in speed.

Wi-Fi 7 uses Extremely High Throughput (ETH), pushing speeds to new levels & improving performance for each connected device.

The maximum speed of Wi-Fi 6E is 9.6Gbps, while Wi-Fi 7 can reach up to 46Gbps. In other words, Wi-Fi 7 is about 4.8 times faster than Wi-Fi 6E. This is a theoretical maximum, so real-world speeds will be lower, but Wi-Fi 7 still outpaces Wi-Fi 6E significantly when it comes to speed.

Channel Width

Both Wi-Fi 6E & Wi-Fi 7 work across three bands. However, the key difference is their channel width.

The 2.4GHz & 5GHz channel widths are the same for both standards. 2.4GHz can be 20MHz or 40MHz, while 5GHz can go up to 160MHz.

Wi-Fi 6E’s 6GHz band can be up to 160MHz, while Wi-Fi 7’s 6GHz band can reach 320MHz—double the width.

This means Wi-Fi 7 offers a lot more bandwidth, allowing more devices to connect & providing a wider data transfer path.

QAM

QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) defines how much data can be transferred from digital packets to an analog signal. It determines the maximum amount of data that can be encoded.

Wi-Fi 6E supports a QAM of 1024, which means 10 bits per symbol. In contrast, Wi-Fi 7 has a QAM limit of 4096, with 12 bits per symbol. This higher QAM allows Wi-Fi 7 to carry more data in each transmission, resulting in faster speeds & improved efficiency.

Feature	Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)	Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Release Year	2014	2019	2020	2024 (Expected)
Frequency Bands	2.4 GHz, 5 GHz	2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz	2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz	2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz
Maximum Speed	3.5 Gbps	9.6 Gbps	9.6 Gbps	30 Gbps (theoretical)
Channel Width	20, 40, 80, 160 MHz	20, 40, 80, 160 MHz	20, 40, 80, 160 MHz	20, 40, 80, 160 MHz
MIMO (Multi-User)	MU-MIMO (downlink)	MU-MIMO (downlink and uplink)	MU-MIMO (downlink and uplink)	MU-MIMO (downlink and uplink)
OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Target Wake Time (TWT)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
8K/4K Streaming Support	Yes (limited)	Yes (better support)	Yes (better support)	Yes (enhanced)
Latency	Higher	Lower	Lower	Ultra-low
Best for	General home and office use	High-density environments, better efficiency	High-density, high-performance, and enterprise applications	Next-generation apps, immersive VR/AR, ultra-high-speed networking

Wi-Fi 6E vs 7: Should I Upgrade Now?

Wi-Fi 7 brings impressive speed & features. With Extremely High Throughput (ETH), its speed is 4.8 times faster. It enables quicker data transfer, broader channel bandwidth for more devices, reduced latency, & Multi-link Operation (MLO).

However, Wi-Fi 7 is still new. You won’t experience its full potential unless your devices, like smartphones, are Wi-Fi 7 compatible. It will take time for Wi-Fi 7 to become widely available. If you’re using Wi-Fi 6, it’s better to wait before upgrading to Wi-Fi 7.

Wi-Fi 6E is a solid choice compared to earlier standards. However, its main issue is backward compatibility. It doesn’t support devices using older technologies like Wi-Fi 5. It’s designed mainly for newer devices. If you only use Wi-Fi 6E or newer devices, Wi-Fi 6E could be great.

So, sticking with Wi-Fi 6 is recommended until Wi-Fi 7 is more common. At this point, neither Wi-Fi 6E nor Wi-Fi 7 is worth upgrading to.

Wi-Fi 5 vs 6 vs 6E vs 7: A Comparison

Before comparing, let’s quickly review Wi-Fi 5 & Wi-Fi 6.

What is Wi-Fi 5?

Wi-Fi 5, or IEEE 802.11ac, is the 5th generation of Wi-Fi technology. Released in 2013, it offered improvements over Wi-Fi 4.

Wi-Fi 5 operates on two bands: 2.4GHz & 5GHz. Its maximum theoretical speed is 1.3Gbps. It also introduced MU-MIMO (Multi-User MIMO), allowing data transmission to multiple devices simultaneously.

What is Wi-Fi 6?

Wi-Fi 6, or IEEE 802.11ax, is the 6th generation of Wi-Fi. Introduced in 2019, it provides speeds up to 9.6Gbps, much faster than its predecessor.

Wi-Fi 6 includes Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), enabling communication with multiple devices at once.

FAQs

1. Is Wi-Fi 7 better than Wi-Fi 6E?
Yes, Wi-Fi 7 outperforms Wi-Fi 6E in speed, bandwidth, latency, data density, & more. However, as a new standard, it will take time to become widely adopted.

2. Is Wi-Fi 7 backward compatible with Wi-Fi 6E?
Yes, Wi-Fi 7 is backward compatible. It supports devices from earlier Wi-Fi generations, including Wi-Fi 6E.

3. Is Wi-Fi 7 overkill?
Wi-Fi 7 might be overkill if you only check emails, stream 4K videos, or do basic tasks. It’s unnecessary unless you engage in high-capacity gaming, live streaming, or other activities requiring low latency, high speed, & wider bandwidth.

4. Should I upgrade to a Wi-Fi 7 router?
Not yet. If you’re using Wi-Fi 6, it’s better to stay with it until Wi-Fi 7 becomes more widespread. Then, you’ll have enough Wi-Fi 7-compatible devices to take full advantage of it.

Conclusion

Wi-Fi 6E & Wi-Fi 7 are both advanced Wi-Fi technologies. They offer remarkable speed & features, but choosing between them can be tricky. Wi-Fi 7 is still new, and it will take years to become common. In comparison, Wi-Fi 6E is older but lacks backward compatibility. For now, sticking with Wi-Fi 6 & waiting a few years for Wi-Fi 7’s wider adoption is the best choice.