The next generation of WiFi won’t just need a new router, but also the tech inside gadgets, too. And it appears phones will start seeing the high-speed tech shortly.
It’s the end of the year, and if you’re a technology journalist or phone reviewer, you may know what that means: chip announcements. Specifically mobile chip announcements, because phone makers need to have something to show off in their new devices when they roll up in the first few months of next year.
While Qualcomm is almost certainly expected to show off some new chips in the next few days, another player is talking up what we can expect in mobiles, with high-speed wireless a big part, and not just for the world of 5G.
Qualcomm’s other obvious competitor found in Australian phones (that aren’t iPhones) is MediaTek, and it has announced the smash-bang new chip heading to mobiles next year as the Dimensity 9200, a new chip boasting plenty of speed for apps and games, support for fast memory, and a lot of wireless goods, too.
In what will likely become a bit of a trend in 2023 for mobile chip makers, MediaTek’s newest chip will sport WiFi 7, the latest WiFi technology that builds on what WiFi 6E delivers, improving network speeds with theoretical limits as high as 30 to 40Gbps. Granted, you’ll need the hardware to make WiFi 7 useful, but it’ll be backwards compatible, so should work with all the WiFi routers you already rely on in your life.
Beyond the WiFi 7 goodness, the new chip will also throw in both kinds of 5G, covering mmWave and sub-6 5G technology, meaning the Google Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro will likely stop being the only mmWave mobiles in Australia as the use of the technology expands.
There’s more going on for the MediaTek’s Dimensity 9200 chip beyond WiFi, 5G, and performance prowess, with image processing for the cameras in our phones, support for high-speed phone screens, and Bluetooth enhancements, and it will likely be just one of the new chip designs sporting these features. With Qualcomm likely to announce its own gear in the coming days, you can bet next year’s phones will sure be feature packed.
