Do I need Wi-Fi 7?
Most UK homes do not need Wi-Fi 7 yet, but a Wi-Fi 7 router now costs £13.50 less than its Wi-Fi 6 twin. Which phones support it, the 6 GHz band and prices.
On this page
Most UK homes do not need Wi-Fi 7 in 2026: Ofcom's last median measurement of UK home broadband was 69.4 Mbit/s (March 2023), and 55% of full-fibre customers were on packages of 300 Mbit/s or less in July 2025, speeds a Wi-Fi 6 router carries comfortably. Anyone replacing a router should still buy Wi-Fi 7, because the entry price has fallen below Wi-Fi 6: the TP-Link Archer BE230 costs £66.49 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), £13.50 less than the Wi-Fi 6 TP-Link Archer AX55.
Wi-Fi 7 pays off in full only with Wi-Fi 7 devices and a line near or above 1 Gbps. The mesh kits it applies to are ranked in Best mesh Wi-Fi UK 2026, and whether a home needs mesh at all is answered in Is mesh Wi-Fi worth it?.
| Situation | Wi-Fi 7 needed? | Buy | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working Wi-Fi 6 hub, broadband up to 300 Mbit/s | No | Nothing | £0 |
| Replacing a router in a flat or small house | Not needed, but it costs less | TP-Link Archer BE230 | £66.49 |
| Broadband of 900 Mbit/s or more, no Wi-Fi 7 devices | Helpful for its 2.5 Gbps port | TP-Link Archer BE230 | £66.49 |
| Two-storey house, Wi-Fi 7 phone | Yes, if mesh is needed anyway | eero 7 (2-pack) | £198.99 |
| Multi-gig full fibre, Wi-Fi 7 laptop and phone | Yes, tri-band with 6 GHz | TP-Link Deco BE65 (2-pack) | £322.99 |
Which phones and laptops support Wi-Fi 7?
Recent flagship phones support Wi-Fi 7, while cheaper phones and most laptops below the top tier stop at Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 6. Compare Electronic checked the Apple, Samsung and Google UK spec pages on 6 October 2026.
| Device | Wi-Fi | Maker detail |
|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Apple N1 wireless chip, 2x2 MIMO |
| Apple iPhone 17 and iPhone Air | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Apple N1 wireless chip, 2x2 MIMO |
| Apple iPhone 16 | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | 2x2 MIMO |
| Apple iPhone 17e | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) | 2x2 MIMO |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 and S26 Ultra | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, 320 MHz channels (EHT320) |
| Google Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, 2x2 MIMO |
| Google Pixel 10 and Pixel 10a | Wi-Fi 6E | 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, 2x2 MIMO |
| Apple MacBook Air (M5) | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | Apple N1 wireless chip |
| Apple MacBook Pro (M5) | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | M5 Pro and M5 Max models list Wi-Fi 7 |
| Apple MacBook Neo | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | No Wi-Fi 7 |
| Samsung Galaxy Book6 16-inch (Core Ultra 5) | Wi-Fi 6E | 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz, 160 MHz channels |
Apple adds that Wi-Fi 7 is available in countries and regions where it is supported. The pattern matters more than any single model: a household that changes phones every two or three years will soon own Wi-Fi 7 devices, but a Wi-Fi 6E laptop such as the MacBook Neo connects to a Wi-Fi 7 router at Wi-Fi 6E speeds. Owners weighing a new phone should read Should I upgrade my iPhone in 2026?.
How much more does Wi-Fi 7 cost than Wi-Fi 6?
At entry level Wi-Fi 7 now costs less than Wi-Fi 6, and the premium grows with the size and band count of the kit. On Amazon UK on 6 October 2026, the Wi-Fi 7 TP-Link Archer BE230 cost £13.50 less than the Wi-Fi 6 Archer AX55, while matched mesh kits cost £49.00 to £145.00 more in their Wi-Fi 7 versions.
| Pair | Wi-Fi 6 or 6E version | Price | Wi-Fi 7 version | Price | Gap | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TP-Link dual-band router | Archer AX55 (AX3000) | £79.99 | Archer BE230 (BE3600) | £66.49 | £13.50 less | 16.9% less |
| eero dual-band mesh, 2 units | eero 6+ (2-pack) | £149.99 | eero 7 (2-pack) | £198.99 | £49.00 more | 32.7% more |
| eero dual-band mesh, 3 units | eero 6+ (3-pack) | £189.99 | eero 7 (3-pack) | £279.99 | £90.00 more | 47.4% more |
| TP-Link tri-band mesh, 2 units | Deco XE75 (2-pack), Wi-Fi 6E | £259.99 | Deco BE65 (2-pack) | £322.99 | £63.00 more | 24.2% more |
| eero tri-band mesh, 2 units | eero Pro 6E (2-pack), Wi-Fi 6E | £239.99 | eero Pro 7 (2-pack) | £384.99 | £145.00 more | 60.4% more |
The router row is the finding. For a buyer replacing a router, Wi-Fi 7 is now the cheaper choice, and it adds Multi-Link Operation and a 2.5 Gbps WAN port. RTINGS rates the Archer BE230 as suitable for connections up to about 1 Gbps and the Archer AX55 up to about 750 Mbps. The mesh premiums are real money and buy the most on lines above 1 Gbps: eero rates the eero 7 for plans up to 2.5 Gbps and the eero 6+ for plans up to 1 Gbps.
Do I need Wi-Fi 7 for my broadband speed?
Broadband speed decides most of the answer and devices decide the rest. Compare Electronic's decision table uses Ofcom's July 2025 full-fibre package bands from its Connected Nations 2025 report.
| Broadband package | Full-fibre customers | No Wi-Fi 7 devices | Wi-Fi 7 phone or laptop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 100 Mbit/s | 17% | Keep the hub: Wi-Fi 6 is plenty | Keep the hub: Wi-Fi 7 adds nothing the line can use |
| 100 to 300 Mbit/s | 38% | Keep a Wi-Fi 6 hub; replace a Wi-Fi 5 hub with the Archer BE230 at £66.49 | Archer BE230, £66.49 |
| 300 to 900 Mbit/s | 24% | Archer BE230: RTINGS rates the Wi-Fi 6 Archer AX55 to about 750 Mbps | Archer BE230, or eero 7 (2-pack) at £198.99 for two floors |
| 900 Mbit/s and above | 21% | Archer BE230 for its 2.5 Gbps WAN port | eero 7 (2-pack); on multi-gig lines, Deco BE65 (2-pack) at £322.99 |
The 6 GHz band separates entry Wi-Fi 7 from the full version. In the UK, Wi-Fi uses 5,925 to 6,425 MHz of the band, a 500 MHz block with room for one 320 MHz channel, and Ofcom's 20 July 2026 statement sets a further Wi-Fi priority block at 6,425 to 6,585 MHz. The Archer BE230 and eero 7 are dual-band and skip 6 GHz; the TP-Link Deco BE65 and ASUS ZenWiFi BT10 are tri-band and use it. 6 GHz signals fade faster through walls than 5 GHz, so the band suits a Wi-Fi 7 laptop near a unit more than a phone two floors away. The wider choice between a router, an extender and mesh is in Wi-Fi extender vs mesh vs new router.
Which Wi-Fi 7 router should you buy?
The TP-Link Archer BE230 is the Wi-Fi 7 router to buy, at £66.49 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), where it is listed as the Archer BE3600. TP-Link rates it at 2,882 Mbps on 5 GHz and 688 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, with Multi-Link Operation, a 2.5 Gbps WAN port, a 2.5 Gbps LAN port and three Gigabit LAN ports.
TP-Link Archer BE230 (BE3600) specifications (TP-Link)
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 7 dual-band, BE3600, Multi-Link Operation
- 5 GHz / 2.4 GHz: 2,882 / 688 Mbps
- 6 GHz band: No
- Ethernet: 1 x 2.5 Gbps WAN, 1 x 2.5 Gbps LAN, 3 x Gigabit LAN
- USB 3.0: Yes
- Antennas: 4 external
- EasyMesh: Yes
The Archer BE230 suits a flat or small house replacing an ISP hub or an old Wi-Fi 5 router, on any broadband up to about 1 Gbps. RTINGS found its speeds drop significantly at long range, so a two- or three-storey house is better served by mesh; EasyMesh lets a compatible extender join it later under one network name. It has no 6 GHz radio, so a Wi-Fi 7 phone connects to it over 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz.
TP-Link Archer BE230 - pros and cons
Where to buy
Check price
Three Wi-Fi 7 mesh kits cover bigger homes and faster lines, at Amazon UK prices on 6 October 2026.
Also consider
Radar · 0-100 scores
- Archer BE230 (BE3600)
- eero 7 (2-pack)
- Deco BE65 (2-pack)
- ZenWiFi BT10 (2-pack)
Verdict
Most UK homes do not need Wi-Fi 7 yet, because most broadband lines are slower than a Wi-Fi 6 router can carry. Anyone replacing a router should buy it anyway: the TP-Link Archer BE230 costs £66.49, £13.50 less than the Wi-Fi 6 Archer AX55, while Wi-Fi 7 mesh earns its £49.00 to £145.00 premium only with Wi-Fi 7 devices and a line near or above 1 Gbps. Prices are Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026); the full mesh rankings are in Best mesh Wi-Fi UK 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Wi-Fi 7 in the UK?
Most UK homes do not need Wi-Fi 7 yet. Ofcom found 55% of full-fibre customers on packages of 300 Mbit/s or less in July 2025, and RTINGS rates the Wi-Fi 6 TP-Link Archer AX55 as suitable for connections up to about 750 Mbps. Anyone buying a router now should still pick Wi-Fi 7, because the TP-Link Archer BE230 costs £66.49 against £79.99 on Amazon UK.
Which iPhones support Wi-Fi 7?
Apple's UK spec pages list Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) for the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, with all but the iPhone 16 using Apple's N1 wireless chip. The iPhone 17e lists Wi-Fi 6. Apple notes that Wi-Fi 7 is available in countries and regions where it is supported. Among Macs, the MacBook Air with M5 lists Wi-Fi 7.
Do Samsung and Google Pixel phones support Wi-Fi 7?
Samsung's UK spec pages list Wi-Fi 802.11be on 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz with 320 MHz channels for the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Google lists Wi-Fi 7 for the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, but Wi-Fi 6E for the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10a. Samsung's 16-inch Galaxy Book6 laptop with a Core Ultra 5 processor lists Wi-Fi 6E.
Will a Wi-Fi 7 router make my broadband faster?
No. A router cannot deliver more than the broadband line supplies, and Ofcom measured an average UK maximum download speed of 285 Mbit/s in July 2025. Wi-Fi 7 helps when the line is faster than Wi-Fi 6 carries around the home: RTINGS rates the TP-Link Archer BE230 for connections up to about 1 Gbps, against about 750 Mbps for the Wi-Fi 6 TP-Link Archer AX55.
Do I need the 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi 7?
Not to use Wi-Fi 7, but its widest 320 MHz channels run only on 6 GHz. Dual-band Wi-Fi 7 kits such as the TP-Link Archer BE230 and eero 7 skip 6 GHz, while tri-band kits such as the TP-Link Deco BE65 include it. UK Wi-Fi uses 5,925 to 6,425 MHz, and Ofcom's 20 July 2026 statement sets a further Wi-Fi priority block at 6,425 to 6,585 MHz.
Is Wi-Fi 7 mesh worth the extra over Wi-Fi 6?
Only when the price gap is small or the line runs above 1 Gbps. On Amazon UK in October 2026 the eero 7 (3-pack) costs £279.99, £90.00 more than the Wi-Fi 6 eero 6+ (3-pack), and the eero 7 (2-pack) costs £198.99, £49.00 more than the eero 6+ (2-pack). eero rates the eero 7 for plans up to 2.5 Gbps and the eero 6+ for plans up to 1 Gbps.