MAY 2020 PCWorld 111the iceberg.
Once
everything gets
upgraded to
Wi-Fi 6, I’m
confident that
my network
clients will
absolutely
scream. The
two Wi-Fi
6-compatible
devices that I
was able to
test—a Samsung
Galaxy S10+
and an iPhone
11—blew away the other wireless clients, with
speeds greater than 700Mbps when I was
near the main router. And I didn’t lose much
when I wandered. The slowest speeds I
recorded with Wi-Fi 6 clients were still higher
than 600Mbps, more than double what I was
getting when they were connected to my
Wi-Fi 5 Orbi system.
But the biggest reason to plunk down a
bunch of dough on a Wi-Fi 6 router isn’t for
today’s speeds, devices, and use cases; it’s
for tomorrow’s. Even if your ISP can’t deliver
gigabit broadband today, a modern home
needs a router that can quickly move lots of
data from lots of clients inside it. And
broadband providers will soon be able to
offer very high-speed internet just about
anywhere, whether it be via cable, 5G, or
some new tech we haven’t thought of.
Besides, no one ever complains that
something is too fast.
A Wi-Fi 6 router is as close to future-proof as
any tech you can buy. Yes, it will cost more than
a Wi-Fi 5 model. And yes, Wi-Fi 6 routers will be
cheaper in the future. But the performance of a
high-end Wi-Fi 6 router compared to a high-end
Wi-Fi 5 router completely justifies that.
Whether you’re a cord-cutter, a work-
from-homer, or a parent with kids who like to
stream Fortnite videos over Twitch, your next
router should have a Wi-Fi 6 label. I mean, If
you’re planning to spend a thousand bucks
on your next smartphone anyway, a Wi-Fi 6
router is the best possible fuel for it.My Wi-Fi 6 Pixel 4 (left) got excellent speeds both near the router and far away on
the porch (right), but it can’t compete with the Wi-Fi 6-enabled Galaxy S10 (center).