It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of the year. And no, we don’t mean Infrastructure Week (because that never really went away). It’s November, which means people are gearing up for their holiday shopping. With the international shipping crisis and supply chain bottlenecks, we’re giving you an early rundown of all you need to know about Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E gadgets before you consider gifting one for the holidays.
Photo by Tarun Dhiman
But, before diving into the devices, let’s talk about what’s with all the Wi-Fi 6/6E hype. Wi-Fi 6 is the newest generation of Wi-Fi technology. Some benefits for consumers include faster internet speeds, lower energy consumption (meaning lower energy costs), longer battery life and more.
Wi-Fi 6E is an extension of Wi-Fi 6 (hence the “E”). The biggest difference between the two is that Wi-Fi 6E devices can utilize the newly opened 6 GHz band, which will provide even faster speeds for everyone as traffic can be diverted from the more congested 2.4 and 5 GHz bands to the 6 GHz band. Think of it as the express checkout lines or the HOV lane on the highway — it makes traffic run smoother for everyone, not just those using it.
So, onto the devices and gadgets. Back in January, Wi-Fi Alliance estimated that more than 338 million devices with Wi-Fi 6E capabilities would enter the market this year. This includes routers, phones, TVs, laptops and so much more. Check out some of the devices available in time for this holiday season:
- Google’s Pixel 6 Series
- Samsung Neo QLED 8K TV
- Linksys Hydra Pro 6E: Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6E Router
- MIS GE76 Raider Gaming Laptop
And while the selection of Wi-Fi 6E gadgets continues to grow, devices supporting Wi-Fi 6 are also very good options. At the time of this blog’s publication, Dell’s online store has 212 laptops and 2-in-1 PCs with Wi-Fi 6. Take a look at just a few Wi-Fi 6 gadgets that might make a good gift:
- Comcast’s xFi Gateway 3rd Generation Router
- Amazon’s eero 6 and eero Pro 6
- Charter’s Spectrum WiFi 6 Router
- Microsoft’s Surface Pro 8
If you still aren’t convinced to invest in Wi-Fi 6/6E gadgets this year, the market will continue growing into 2022 and beyond. And who knows — maybe by this time next year, you’ll have a TV equipped with Wi-Fi 6E so you can stream the explosion scenes from the most iconic (and best) Christmas movie, Die Hard — in the highest resolution possible.