If you’ve recently picked up the iPhone 16 and are having trouble getting it to play nicely with your Wi-Fi 7 network, you’re not the only one. A few threads have started popping up on Reddit discussing multiple frustrations where iPhone 16 devices fail to connect to the 6GHz band, even when paired with top-tier access points like Ubiquiti’s U7 series.
What’s holding back the iPhone 16’s WiFi 7 performance?
While Apple advertised peak theoretical speeds of up to 5.8 Gbps thanks to the WiFi 7 standard, real-world tests tell a different story. According to a detailed report by Les Numeriques, the iPhone 16 models—both the Pro and Plus—struggle to exceed speeds of 1.7 Gbps, almost identical to what users experienced with last year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max, which only supported WiFi 6E.
The issue stems from the fact that, despite supporting WiFi 7, Apple has capped the devices at 160 MHz channel width, cutting their performance potential in half. WiFi 7 can utilize a much wider 320 MHz channel, but this isn’t being fully utilized on the iPhone 16. This limitation was confirmed by Apple’s own diagnostic tools, which reveal that the iPhone 16 models aren’t taking advantage of the full bandwidth despite being compatible with the WiFi 7 standard.
Global differences and user reactions
The issue is further complicated by regional variations. In Europe, WiFi 7 only supports one 320 MHz band, whereas in the U.S., users have access to three. Even in regions where the full 320 MHz width is available, the iPhone 16 remains stuck at the narrower 160 MHz band, leading to significant underperformance. While Apple hasn’t officially addressed the issue, speculation continues to swirl about whether this is a software issue that could be fixed through updates, or if it’s a permanent hardware limitation.
Users have voiced their frustrations on Reddit and other platforms, with many noticing no real difference in speed between the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, despite Apple’s claims of faster performance. Ubiquiti’s official support team has responded to a complaint asking for more information, which suggests this could be an issue worth investigating further.
The iPhone 16 certainly brought notable internal upgrades, but the WiFi 7 feature appears to be underperforming in its current state. It remains to be seen if Apple will roll out software updates to fully unlock the WiFi 7 potential, or if this cap is here to stay. For now, users are left wondering whether the promised connectivity upgrades were worth the investment.
For a deeper dive into the technical findings and testing, you can read more here.
Dwayne Cubbins
392 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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