When Apple announced that the iPhone 16 would support WiFi 7, many of us tech enthusiasts were thrilled. The promise of faster speeds and reduced latency sounded like a dream come true. However, after getting hands-on experience with the device, it seems that the reality doesn’t quite live up to the hype.
The Promise of WiFi 7
WiFi 7, officially introduced earlier this year, boasts theoretical speeds up to 4.8 times faster than its predecessor, WiFi 6E. In practical terms, this means a jump from 2.4 Gb/s to a staggering 5.8 Gb/s on mobile devices like smartphones and laptops. The increased speed is primarily due to the doubling of antennas in routers, though the number of antennas in our devices remains the same.
With these advancements, one would expect the iPhone 16 to deliver real-world speeds significantly higher than previous models. For instance, if the iPhone 15 Pro Max could achieve 1.6 Gb/s on WiFi 6E, the iPhone 16 should, in theory, reach around 3.86 Gb/s.
Testing the Reality
Curious about these claims, we conducted a series of speed tests using an iPhone 16 Pro and an iPhone 16 Plus. Our setup included a TP-Link Deco BE85 mesh WiFi system, which allowed us to isolate the 6 GHz frequency band—ideal for testing maximum performance. A PC with a 10 Gb/s network card served as our “Speedtest” server, connected directly to the Deco BE85’s 10 Gb/s port.
To ensure our setup was capable of high speeds, we first tested it with the freshly reviewed Asus ZenBook S 14, equipped with Intel’s Lunar Lake processor. The result? An impressive 4 Gb/s in both download and upload speeds.
However, when we tested the iPhone 16 models, the results were underwhelming. Placed just 1.5 meters from the router and kept stationary on a stand, both devices struggled to surpass 1.6 Gb/s in both directions. We rebooted the phones and double-checked that they were connected to the correct 6 GHz band, but to no avail. The speeds simply wouldn’t budge past 1.7 Gb/s.
Uncovering the Bottleneck
To dig deeper, we accessed the iPhone’s internal WiFi diagnostics tool, typically reserved for developers. This revealed that while the iPhone 16 does connect using the WiFi 7 standard (802.11be) on the 6 GHz band, it’s only utilizing a 160 MHz channel width instead of the 320 MHz width that WiFi 7 is capable of. Essentially, this means the maximum potential speed is halved right from the start.
Apple’s specifications for the iPhone 16 mention “Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO,” but they don’t delve into details about channel widths or other technicalities. There’s also a note stating, “Wi-Fi 7 available in countries and regions where supported,” which raises questions about regional limitations.
In Europe, for instance, WiFi 7 operates with only one 320 MHz band compared to three in the United States due to narrower 6 GHz bandwidth allocations. However, even considering regional differences, users both in Europe and elsewhere have reported similar speed limitations with the iPhone 16.
Awaiting Answers
We reached out to Apple for clarification on these findings and are awaiting a response. It’s possible that a future software update could unlock higher speeds, or there may be regional regulations affecting performance. Alternatively, Apple might have made a deliberate choice to limit channel width for reasons related to battery life or device stability.
Final Thoughts
As it stands, the iPhone 16’s WiFi 7 capabilities don’t seem to offer a significant improvement over the WiFi 6E performance of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. For a feature that was anticipated to be a game-changer, this is undeniably disappointing.
For users, this means that if you’re upgrading to the iPhone 16 primarily for faster WiFi speeds, you might want to temper your expectations. While the device excels in many areas, its WiFi 7 performance doesn’t currently justify the leap—especially if you’re expecting speeds twice as fast as before.
In the fast-paced world of technology, sometimes reality doesn’t quite meet our expectations. Here’s hoping that Apple addresses this issue soon, allowing the iPhone 16 to fully utilize the potential of WiFi 7 and deliver the blazing speeds we were all looking forward to.
My name is Noah and I’m a dedicated member of the “Jason Deegan” team. With my passion for technology, I strive to bring you the latest and most exciting news in the world of high-tech.