All Four iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature Apple-Designed Wi-Fi 7 Chip

All four iPhone 17 models will feature an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.

Apple Wi Fi Chip Feature Triad
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities today, Pu said he believes that the Wi-Fi 7 chip's design was finalized in the first half of 2024. He expects the chip to debut in the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max later this year.

The entire iPhone 16 lineup already supports Wi-Fi 7, so the spec is not much of a surprise, but the fact that the chip will be designed by Apple is notable. Last month, Apple debuted its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e, for cellular connectivity like 5G and LTE, and now the company is expected to make its own Wi-Fi chips too. By designing more of its own chips, Apple can reduce and eventually eliminate its reliance on external suppliers, including Qualcomm for modems and Broadcom for Wi-Fi chips.

Apple's plan to use its own Wi-Fi chip in iPhone 17 models this year was also mentioned by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Wi-Fi 7 allows for data transmission over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously, with a supported router, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 can provide peak speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4× increase over Wi-Fi 6E, provided a device supports the maximum specifications.

All four iPhone 17 models should launch in around six months from now.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro
Tag: Jeff Pu
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...

Top Rated Comments

lenard Avatar
10 months ago
The current Wi-Fi chip in the iPhone 16 is half baked and does not allow access to
the 320ghz band, new chip better be better then that
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
10 months ago
I find it hard to believe that Apple will commit every single iPhone 17 to a never before used chip… while WiFi is simpler than a modem, look how they introduced the C1
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
frownface Avatar
10 months ago
I've changed my router about 4 times in the last 25 years. Usually as the old one dies or i've moved to a different ISP and they've given me something newer for free.

Having the latest wifi modem in my phone has almost never been a factor of consideration for me since basically it's sure to be bottlenecked by my router anyway.

Or maybe i'm unusual and people upgrade their routers each year, buying the latest $300 offerings from asus that look more like a spaceship than the lil white box i have in my cupboard.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chiromac81 Avatar
10 months ago
The iPhone 16 pro supports a gimped form of wifi as it is only 160 instead of 320 band width
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
10 months ago

Does not the 16e have an Apple wifi chip? I thought it does.
No, just Apple cellular. The WiFi/BT chip is Broadcom.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WarmWinterHat Avatar
10 months ago

I've changed my router about 4 times in the last 25 years. Usually as the old one dies or i've moved to a different ISP and they've given me something newer for free.

Having the latest wifi modem in my phone has almost never been a factor of consideration for me since basically it's sure to be bottlenecked by my router anyway.

Or maybe i'm unusual and people upgrade their routers each year, buying the latest $300 offerings from asus that look more like a spaceship than the lil white box i have in my cupboard.
I don't think most ever upgrade or think about their routers until the ISP gives them a new one, or their old one dies.

I just upgraded last year from 802.11b/g/n 2.4ghz to WiFi 6. Probably won't upgrade again for another decade.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)