Categories: Technology

Why, Apple? New Macs with the M4 chip lack the technology found in the iPhone

It’s been a busy week of new Apple product launches, with new iMac, Mac mini and MacBook Pro models featuring the powerful and highly anticipated M4 chip, which promises greater speed and efficiency. However, despite improvements like Thunderbolt 5 and nano-texture screens, the surprise is that there is a connection technology they don’t use, but the iPhone 16 does.

It’s about Wi-Fi 7 support on new Macs. Unlike the iPhone 16 released in September, which integrates this new connectivity technology, Macs still support Wi-Fi 6E, which is confusing for users.

Apple forgets about Wi-Fi 7 in new Macs

Wi-Fi 7 is the latest generation of wireless standards, capable of delivering the fastest theoretical speeds and significantly reducing latency thanks to bandwidth up to 320 MHz. This generational leap is ideal for applications such as online video games, high-quality content streaming, and video conferencing.

However, new Mac models equipped with the M4 chip only offer Wi-Fi 6E, which, while it can reach the 6GHz band on compatible routers, doesn’t match Wi-Fi 7 capabilities such as support Multi-channel operation or MLOallowing you to connect to multiple bands simultaneously, speeding up data transfer and reducing latency.

Apple’s decision is even more curious when you consider that the iPhone 16 uses Wi-Fi 7 chips made by Broadcom, although they do have certain limitations. On iPhone 16, Wi-Fi 7 support is limited to 160 MHz bandwidth, the same as Wi-Fi 6E chips in M4 Macs. However, iPhone 16 users can benefit from MLO, which offers faster and more stable connection

which is out of reach for new M4 Macs that haven’t yet implemented this improvement.

Apple leaves more doubt than certainty

For many experts and everyday users, the lack of Wi-Fi 7 in the M4-based Mac lineup is a negative and disappointing aspect, especially considering that Macs are devices that tend to stay in use for several years. The absence of this technology reduces the future potential that many users expect from high-quality equipment. Additionally, Wi-Fi 7 could greatly benefit the most advanced models, such as those that integrate the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, aimed at professionals who require better connection qualitystable and without interruption.

Apple has opted for save Wi-Fi 6E

in new Macs, a decision that some attribute to a market strategy that reserves connectivity upgrades for future generations of its devices. However, this raises questions about the need to upgrade Apple’s hardware if it lacks the latest specifications, especially as the market for Wi-Fi 7 routers grows and more and more homes prepare to make the transition to the standard.

Source link

Admin