With the release of the iPhone 14 series, Apple started a new strategy with bigger hardware differences between the base and the Pro models. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have better cameras and a faster chipset. The Pros are also the only variants with the new Dynamic Island display. For the Apple iPhone 15 series, Apple plans other differences, too. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will get the new design, but in addition to a different CPU, changes to the WLAN standard are apparently also planned. A new report suggests Wi-Fi 6E isn’t coming to all variants as previously thought. In fact, Apple only uses Wi-Fi 6E in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, while the non-Pro duo sticks with Wi-Fi 6.
Adding to the rumors, a leaked document came to light confirming Apple’s plans for Wi-Fi 6E. The information comes from Apple tipster Unknowz21. The document shows diagrams of the iPhone 15 antenna architecture. D8x refers to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max / Ultra, which according to the document will be the only ones to get the faster Wi-Fi 6E.
Wi-Fi 6E for iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Ultra only
The regular Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus only get Wi-Fi 6. The document points to changes in antenna design between the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models. For some users, this should make little difference. But if you depend on faster and more stable Wi-Fi, you will certainly enjoy the upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E.
In addition to the iPhones, the next iPad Pro, the upcoming Mac mini and future MacBook Pro models will also rely on Wi-Fi 6E. It is remarkable that the Wi-Fi 7 standard is already in the starting blocks. The currently fastest Android chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, already supports Wi-Fi 7. It is precisely this chip that powers Apple’s upcoming main competitor, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, which will be presented on Wednesday. Apple, on the other hand, is likely to use Wi-Fi 7 with the iPhone 16 Pro series at the earliest, while the iPhone 16 standard models will get Wi-Fi 6E in 2024.
Just like with 5G, time will tell the success of the new technology. Hardly any routers currently support Wi-Fi 6E. There is probably not even a relevant number of users with Wi-Fi 6 in the home network. Wi-Fi 6E offers more bandwidth, faster speeds, and lower latency. There’s 1.2GHz more spectrum in the 6GHz bands, and with the right hardware, gigabit coverage throughout the home. This could become particularly interesting for AR and VR technology if the Meta Quest and the Apple headset become more popular.
According to the tipster, Wi-Fi 6E is just the tip of the iceberg of new features in the iPhone 15 series. We are looking forward to the next leaks.
