Wi-Fi 6 devices: The top compatible phones, laptops and gadgets thus far
Better, faster Wi-Fi is here, but you’ll need new devices in order to take advantage. Here are your top options.
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry’s beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Wi-Fi 6 is the newest and fastest version of Wi-Fi , and we’ve watched it gradually start to roll out across the top wireless devices since its arrival in 2019. At this point, in 2021, there are plenty of interesting options if you’re looking to buy in.
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 users. It won’t do anything to speed up a slow ISP connection, so don’t expect miracles — but it will help you get the fastest, most efficient connection possible at home.
You’ll need a Wi-Fi 6 router and new Wi-Fi 6 devices in order to enjoy those benefits at home — here are the top options currently available, which we’ll update regularly.
Locating local internet providers
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 were soon to follow suit.
As of now, the list of phones that can connect at faster Wi-Fi 6 speeds includes:
- Huawei P40 Pro
- iPhone 11 , 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 12 , 12 Pro , 12 Pro Max and 12 Mini
- LG V60 ThinQ
- Motorola Edge Plus
- OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10E
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10
- Samsung Galaxy S20
- Samsung Galaxy Fold
And what about the phones that don’t support Wi-Fi 6? The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip comes to mind, but Google’s Pixel lineup is probably the most notable example. Even the newest models — the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4A 5G — don’t include Wi-Fi 6 support.
We’re also starting to see the very first 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.
It’s pretty likely that we’ll see a handful of other phones jump in with Wi-Fi 6E by the end of this year, too, so stay tuned.
Laptops
There’s a growing number of new laptops that are shipping with Wi-Fi 6 as the default option. Some of our favorites include:
And nope, none of Apple’s laptops support Wi-Fi 6 yet — not even the newest, 13-inch MacBook Pro .
Other devices
Other recent Wi-Fi 6 devices include the new eighth-gen iPad and fourth-gen iPad Air , but we haven’t seen Wi-Fi 6 support in many other types of devices — no TVs, no streamers, no smart home gadgets. That’s likely to change in the coming months, though. We’ll be sure to update this post as Wi-Fi 6 adoption spreads.
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 $80 or less, though the top speeds are more limited.
Expect to see lots of new Wi-Fi 6 routers like those in 2021. We’ve already tested a few of the new ones that made their debut at this year’s all-virtual CES , 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. For instance, Rivet Networks sells the Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi 6 adapter for laptops with an M.2 connector and a standard Key A or E socket. We picked one up last year to upgrade the laptop in our test lab and it works great. Cost? Just $50.
As for Wi-Fi 6E, we’re just starting to see the arrival of the very first routers that include access to the newly unlocked 6GHz band. 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.
These Android phones support Wi-Fi 6
There’s always some new technology coming out promising to make out internet performance faster and more consistent with improved coverage. Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, does all of those things but it does require all new equipment to get the full benefit. You’ll need both a router capable of Wi-Fi 6 and a device that can take advantage of it. The problem with Wi-Fi is that we continue to ask more of it all the time and the older versions just don’t have the capacity to keep up a seamless online experience.
Nearly any older Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) router will be able to deliver plenty of speed for just about anything you could reasonably do on your phone. The major advantage that comes with upgrading is increased capacity. That is, a decent Wi-Fi 6 router will be able to handle more traffic without slowing down compared to a Wi-Fi 5 router of about the same speed rating.
As people continue to ask more of their networks with things like online work meetings and even at-home schooling, the cracks in an aging network can start to show.
Wi-Fi 6 on Android Which phones support it?
For the most part, only flagship phones are getting Wi-Fi 6. Samsung was one of the first major manufacturers to offer Wi-Fi 6 starting with its Galaxy S10 series of phones. Nearly every prominent Android phone manufacturer now has at least one model that supports Wi-Fi 6.
For the most part, Wi-Fi 6 equipped phones are 2×2 MU-MIMO setups which max out right around 1200Mbps peak link speed. This is compared to 867Mbps typical on Wi-Fi 5.
While you hardly ever need even close to that kind of speed on your phone, having the extra headroom can be great if you don’t have a great signal. Moving rooms away from your router and still having close to gigabit speeds is great.
These are the Android phones that support Wi-Fi 6.
- ROG Phone 3
- ROG Phone 3 Strix
- Zenfone 7
- Zenfone 7 Pro
- 30 Pro
- 30 Pro+
- P40 series
- Legion Pro
- Legion Duel
- V60
- 17
- 17 Pro
- Edge+
- 8
- 8 Pro
- Ace2
- Find X2
- K7 5G
- X50 Pro Player
- X50 Pro 5G
- X7 5G
- Galaxy Fold
- Galaxy Fold 2
- Galaxy Note 10 series
- Galaxy Note 20 series
- Galaxy S10 series
- Galaxy S20 series
- Galaxy Z Flip 5G
- Xperia 1 II
- iQOO 3 5G
- iQOO 5 5G
- iQOO 5 Pro 5G
- iQOO Neo 3 5G
- iQOO Z1
- NEX 3S 5G
- Z6 5G
- Black Shark 3
- Black Shark 3s
- Mi 10
- Mi 10 Ultra
- Redmi K30 Pro
- Redmi K30 Ultra
- Axon 10s Pro 5G
- Axon 11 5G
- Nubia Red Magic 5G
- Nubia Red Magic 5S
Wi-Fi 6 on Android Should you bother upgrading?
Wi-Fi 5 routers have been able to support some incredible speeds, especially if you have the hardware to make the most of it. My Wi-Fi 5-equipped MacBook Pro from 2016 can connect at up to 1300Mbps in perfect conditions, which is great. In fact, some of the best wireless routers out there still use Wi-Fi 5 to great effect.
Still, there’s no denying that a Wi-Fi 6 device will be faster than a Wi-Fi 5 router in most situations and as the number of wireless devices in our homes continues to increase, the extra capacity will be worth it. The biggest reason for upgrading to Wi-Fi 6 equipment will be coverage and consistency with Wi-Fi 6 being able to deliver greater coverage with more headroom for acceptable speeds compared to a Wi-Fi 5 router of the same class.
If you are ready to get one of the best Wi-Fi 6 routers it can be easy to get something much faster than you’ll ever need. For most people, the sweet spot is going to be around AX3000 as it will be able to provide great speeds to support a gigabit fiber connection, even when you are connecting to the longer-range 2.4GHz channels. And thankfully, Wi-Fi 6 routers are fully backward compatible with Wi-Fi 5 devices.