Wi-Fi pretty much connects everything nowadays. And Wi-Fi itself is constantly evolving to be better and faster than before. The current version is Wi-Fi 6, which launched in 2019. Since it's been out for six years, most devices these days, from laptops to smartphones, are capable of taking advantage of the fast speeds that Wi-Fi 6 offers. Keep in mind that Wi-Fi 7 began making its way to the market in 2023, but it's still relatively new.
In a nutshell, Wi-Fi 6 is capable of top speeds that are about 30% faster than the fastest Wi-Fi 5 speeds, and it's much better equipped to handle busy networks with lots of devices, as well as dense, crowded environments with lots of people. But it won't do anything to speed up a slow ISP connection, so don't expect miracles -- though it will help you get the fastest, most efficient connection possible at home.
You'll need a Wi-Fi 6 router and Wi-Fi 6 compatible devices in order to enjoy those benefits at home. Here are the top options currently available, which we'll update regularly.
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Available for $399, the iPhone SE is the most affordable phone that supports faster Wi-Fi 6 connections.
Phones
It's not surprising that, after routers, smartphones were among the first devices to start incorporating support for Wi-Fi 6. Samsung was the first with the Galaxy S10, but Apple, LG, Huawei and others soon followed suit.
As of now, the list of phones that can connect at faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds includes:
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- Apple iPhone 11/12/13/14/15/16 series
- Huawei P40/P50/P60 series
- Huawei Mate 40/50/60 series
- Xiaomi 10/11/12/13/14/15 series
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10/20 series
- Samsung Galaxy S20/21/22/23/24/25 series
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold/Flip series
- OnePlus 8/9/10/11/12/13 series
- Google Pixel 6/7/8/9 series
There are also phones that support Wi-Fi 6E, a new designation for Wi-Fi 6 devices that are equipped to tap into the newly opened 6GHz band, which offers a massive amount of spectrum with no interference from older-gen connections. The first phones to support the designation include the Samsung Galaxy S21, as well as two gaming phones: the Lenovo Legion and the Asus ROG Phone 3. Each of those uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 Plus processor, which boasts support for Wi-Fi 6E and 5G.
The Asus Chromebook Flip c436 comes equipped with full support for Wi-Fi 6.
Laptops
Most new laptops have support for at least Wi-Fi 6 nowadays, if not later versions. Chances are high if it's a laptop made in the past five years, it has Wi-Fi 6 by default. Some of our favorites include:
- Asus Chromebook Flip c436
- Dell Inspiron 15
- HP Spectre x360
- Lenovo Yoga c940
- LG Gram 17
- Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
- Apple MacBook (2023)
If your devices support Wi-Fi 6, then you'll need a Wi-Fi 6 router in order to take advantage of the faster top speeds. Our current favorite is this Asus ZenWifi AX mesh system.
Other devices
Other recent Wi-Fi 6 devices include the eighth-gen iPad and fourth-gen iPad Air, Wi-Fi 6 capable security cameras and more.
There's one big, obvious exception: routers. You'll need one that supports Wi-Fi 6 running your home network if you want to take full advantage of the Wi-Fi 6 radio in your fancy new phone or laptop -- and fortunately, you've already got a lot of options.
My favorite among them is the Asus ZenWifi AX, a two-piece Wi-Fi 6 mesh router that costs $450. It isn't cheap, but it aced my tests and offers just about everything you could reasonably want from a router. Even more of an upgrade: the $600 Netgear Orbi AX6000 mesh system, which hit the fastest top speeds we've ever seen from a mesh router.
Expect to see lots of new Wi-Fi 6 routers in 2021, including the Arris Surfboard Max mesh system pictured here.
If you don't need a multi-point mesh router (or if you just don't want to pay that much), you'll find Wi-Fi 6 support in standalone models that cost a little less. I like the TP-Link Archer AX6000 -- it hit the fastest top speeds our test lab has ever seen, and you can get for less than $300. Meanwhile, the TP-Link Archer AX1500 costs just $80Â or less, though the top speeds are more limited.
There are plenty of Wi-Fi 6 routers like that, with many of them already tested by our experts, including the Asus RT-AX68U and the Arris Surfboard Max AX6600.
In addition, you might be able to update an older laptop with a new Wi-Fi 6 radio. These may take a little digging around to find, but they shouldn't be too expensive — at least it should be cheaper than buying a new computer if you're on a budget.
As for Wi-Fi 6E, there are also plenty of devices that support that new 6GHz band, but it's a little more limited than standard Wi-Fi 6. The first thus far is the Asus GT-AXE11000, a premium gaming router that's set to hit stores this month. Later this year, expect to see new Wi-Fi 6E routers from Netgear, Linksys, TP-Link and others, too.