A17 to get Wi-Fi 6E
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A leaker with a limited but positive track record has shared internal diagrams showing Wi-Fi 6E will be limited to iPhone 15 Pro, likely due to A17 processor not coming to standard iPhone 15.
Known as “Unknownz21” on Twitter, the leaker has a short but credible history of leaking details about Apple. They got a pre-release earlier iOS 14 code and leaked the “GobiAR codes that were eventually revealed as scannable app clips.
Unknownz21 shared a new set leaked documents that shows that Wi-Fi 6E will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro series. The document below has been shared with others to provide consent MacRumors to confirm the accuracy of the report.
The diagram refers to models with letter-number designations. D3y for iPhone 15, D2y for iPhone 14, D8x for iPhone 15 Pro and D7x for iPhone 14 Pro.
A earlier report an analyst also suggested Wi-Fi 6E would be introduced with iPhone 15, though it wasn’t clear if it would be an exclusive feature for pro models. However, there are other clues as to why Apple would restrict a new Wi-Fi standard to its premium devices.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus use the 2021 A15 processor, not the newer A16 processor. If Apple continues this trend, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will use the A16 and the A17 will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro series.
Leaked diagram from @URedditor given to MacRumors
Wireless connectivity is tied to Apple’s processors. So Wi-Fi 6E will likely be an A17 processor feature.
We’ve seen Apple enforce Wi-Fi standards based on internal chipsets before. For instancethe new HomePod has the S7 processor, which is limited to Wi-Fi 802.11n, while the previous model had 802.11ac.
Wi-Fi 6E operates on the same 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands as Wi-Fi 6, but also works over the 6 GHz band. This enables faster wireless speeds and less signal interference. To use the 6Ghz band, devices must be connected to a Wi-Fi 6E router.
Wi-Fi 6E has already been introduced in a handful of Apple products, namely those with the M2 processor series. These include the iPad Pro, MacBook Proand Mac mini.
While this move isn’t ideal for future-proofing entry-level iPhones, it won’t immediately impact customers. Wi-Fi 6E routers are still prohibitively expensive, so users probably won’t notice the difference anytime soon.