Apple this week launched new MacBook Air and Mac Studio models, adding faster and more efficient M4 and M3 Ultra chips, as well as other updates such as Thunderbolt 5 ports for the Mac Studio. But one upgrade we haven't seen yet is support for the latest Wi-Fi specification, Wi-Fi 7.

Both the new M4 MacBook Air and Mac Studio continue to provide Wi-Fi6E. While it can access the 6GHz band on supported Wi-Fi6E and Wi-Fi7 routers, it's not the latest or fastest technology.

Wi-Fi 7, also known as IEEE802.11be, is theoretically four times faster than the previous generation, while also reducing latency and improving handling of multi-device connections. Its standout feature is Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which combines multiple frequencies from different bands into a single connection, potentially achieving better performance and stability.

Apple's decision not to equip the new Macs with Wi-Fi 7 isn't entirely surprising, as last year's MacBook Pro models with M4 chips also didn't support Wi-Fi 7. However, this decision is still a bit strange considering that all iPhone 16 models released in September use Wi-Fi7 chips produced by Broadcom.

Still, Wi-Fi 7's current use makes its absence in Apple's new Mac less important. Yes, the iPhone 16 series supports Wi-Fi 7, but Apple limits its implementation to a 160MHz bandwidth instead of the full 320MHz allowed by the standard. In other words, iPhone 16 models are not taking full advantage of Wi-Fi 7’s potential speed improvements.

Existing Wi-Fi 6E support in M4Mac already provides access to the less crowded 6GHz band, providing stable performance for current network needs. Sure, Wi-Fi 7 could provide Mac buyers with some future-proof features, but its actual benefits won't be widely available for some time.

All in all, for most Mac users, the lack of Wi-Fi 7 shouldn't be a deciding factor when considering buying an M4Mac. The technology is still in its early stages, and Wi-Fi 6E still delivers strong performance for typical computing tasks, including video conferencing, cloud gaming, and high-resolution streaming.