Intel’s VP of wireless solutions, Eric MacLaughlin announced that the company will be adopting next-generation Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) in PC products like laptops by 2024 at a recent press conference in the Asia Pacific. He said that the company is currently developing the next-generation connectivity technology in order to get the ‘Wi-Fi Alliance’ certification.
After Apple transitioned Macs from Intel processors to Apple Silicon in 2020, there has been a cold rivalry between the two companies in which Intel has highlighted the poor gaming performance of Macs powered by its own processors and claimed to introduce processors much faster than Apple Silicon by 2023.
Without a question, Apple Silicon Macs outperform Intel-based computers in performance and battery efficiency. But if not in processors, Intel might beat Apple in offering much faster connectivity speed in its future computers.
The data processing speed of Intel’s Wi-Fi 7 will be 2x faster than Wi-Fi 6E
According to ETNews, MacLaughlin outlined that Intel will install Wi-Fi 7 in PC products like laptops by 2024 which will hit major markets in 2025. The upcoming Wi-Fi 7 tech will reportedly deliver 2x faster data processing speed than Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax).
Wi-Fi 7 is the successor to the Wi-Fi 6E ‘802.11ax’ that was previously unveiled by Intel. It maximizes the use of existing 802.11ax technology, increases frequency (6 GHz) bandwidth stability and data processing speed, making it a more advanced form of Wi-Fi than Wi-Fi 6E.
For some time it has been rumored that Apple might adopt Wi-Fi 6E technology in iPhones. However, the latest Apple devices like iPhone 13 series and Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models come with Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) support.
It is reported that the upcoming iPhone 14 series and Apple first mixed (AR/VR) reality headset will feature Wi-Fi 6E for faster speed and low latency.
It might appear as if Apple is losing the race of offering faster connectivity, but it must be kept in mind that the tech giant has never been the first one to offer new technology. The company usually waits to perfect a tech before introducing it like support for the 5G network in iPhones came later than in Androids.
