New Macs with Apple M4 chips left without Wi-Fi 7 support

This week, Apple unveiled the updated Mac mini, iMac and MacBook Pro, equipping them with more powerful and efficient M4 chips, as well as adding Thunderbolt 5 support and a nano-textured display option for some models. However, the update that many users were expecting – Wi-Fi 7 support – the new devices didn’t get. The new Macs with the M4 still have Wi-Fi 6E modules supporting the 6GHz band, but it’s not the latest generation of the technology.

Differences in Wi-Fi 7 support between the iPhone 16 and the new Macs with M4

Apple’s decision not to introduce Wi-Fi 7 in new Macs is surprising, as all iPhone 16 models released in September feature Broadcom’s Wi-Fi 7 with support for 802.11be and 2×2 MIMO technology. While the iPhone 16 supports Wi-Fi 7, performance is limited — maximum throughput is 2,400 Mbps and maximum channel width is 160 MHz, which is the same as Wi-Fi 6E on the iPhone 15 Pro and Mac devices with the M3.

The iPhone 16’s performance is limited.

The iPhone 16, however, features Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows the device to connect to multiple bands at the same time, improving data speeds and reducing latency with support on the router. Newer Macs with the M4 don’t have this capability and are left with the slower Wi-Fi 6E, which limits their performance compared to the iPhone 16.

Potential benefits of Wi-Fi 7 for Macs and reasons for not implementing it

Wi-Fi 7 offers channel widths of up to 320 MHz, allowing more devices to connect simultaneously, but even on the iPhone 16, Apple limited the width to 160 MHz. Users expected Apple to implement more powerful Wi-Fi 7 modules in new Macs with the M4, especially models with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, which would have made them more relevant for the future. Wi-Fi 7 and MLO could improve Mac performance for streaming, video conferencing, and gaming applications, especially as users upgrade their networks.

Wi-Fi 7 and MLO could improve Mac performance for streaming, video conferencing, and gaming applications, especially as users upgrade their networks.

For buyers of new M4-based Macs, that means the devices remain at Wi-Fi 6E and won’t be able to take advantage of the faster speeds and lower latency that Wi-Fi 7 offers.