iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max just tipped for huge Wi-Fi upgrade — but not the iPhone 16

Unofficial renders of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max from the front and back
(Image credit: MacRumors)

Apple is hard at work on the upcoming iPhone 16 series. We fully expect to find the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro on our best phones list. But if the latest rumor is true, the Pro versions could get a leg up on the cheaper models thanks to full Wi-Fi 7 support.

The rumor comes to us from the Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes. It says that it's "widely expected" that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will support Wi-Fi 7, which is a big deal for both speed and connection quality for buyers of the new smartphones. 

Of course, to take advantage of Wi-Fi 7, you'll need to have one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers in your home. If you do, you'll get all the benefits of the latest and greatest in connectivity, including the ability to send and receive data over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands at the same time. With all three bands, you have faster Wi-Fi speeds and lower latency over a stronger connection, which are all good things.

This isn't the first crop of rumors about Wi-Fi 7 coming to iPhone 16 Pro models, as supply chain analyst Jeff Pu reported the same thing last year.

Samsung already supports Wi-Fi 7 on devices like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, so it makes sense for Apple to push forward with this upgrade. It is disappointing though that Apple potentially plans to reserve the faster connectivity on the more expensive Pro models. Still, it's not entirely surprising since the company needs something other than the cameras and rumored bigger displays to make the pricier version stand out.

We'll have to wait until the Apple September event before we'll know for sure what kind of Wi-Fi the devices are packing. There's always a chance Apple offers Wi-Fi 7 on the cheaper models too, but based on these rumors, that doesn't seem overly likely. 

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Dave LeClair
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Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.

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