Qualcomm unveils world first Wi-Fi 7 chip

Qualcomm is expected to release the FastConnect 7800 in the second half of 2022, paving the way for it to be included in compatible devices once Wi-Fi 7 becomes available. Wi-Fi 7 is the latest generation of wireless internet technology which the World Broadband Alliance (WBA) expects to become mainstream by 2025.

The company claims the connectivity chip will enable peak speeds of 5.8Gbps and sub-2 millisecond latency in a variety of devices. The chip achieves the headline speed and latency performance through a technique called High Band Simultaneous (HBS) multi-link technology which uses both the 5GHz and 6GHz band at the same time while reserving its 2.4GHz band for Bluetooth use.

As part of the design of the chip, Bluetooth power consumption, range and pairing speed itself is boosted through the use of Dual Bluetooth technology, which when combined with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Technology, should make any device powered by the chip able to deliver superior audio performance according to the company.