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Several rumours have suggested that the next-generation iPhone 15 models will use the Wi-Fi 6E standard, which Apple has already implemented in the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, and now a leaked document appears to confirm Apple’s plans.
The document, obtained from researcher and Apple leaker Unknownz21 (@URedditor), includes diagrams of the iPhone 15’s antenna architecture. The iPhone 15 Pro models are referred to as D8x, and the information indicates that the faster Wi-Fi 6E specification will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The standard iPhone 15 models, designated D3y, will continue to use Wi-Fi 6, rather than Wi-Fi 6E. D7x refers to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, and D2y refers to the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, with the document outlining antenna design differences between the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro. According to additional documentation obtained by MacRumors, Wi-Fi 6E will be a Pro-only feature.
Wi-Fi 6E has already been added to some Apple products, but it is currently limited to the latest iPad Pro, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro models. Apple has never previously limited new Wi-Fi standards to a Pro iPhone, but the iPhone 15 Pro models will have several features that the iPhone 15 does not, and limiting it makes cost and availability sense.
Wi-Fi 6E has more bandwidth than Wi-Fi 6, allowing for faster connectivity speeds, lower latency, and increased capacity. Wi-Fi 6E adds 1.2GHz to the 6GHz band, and it can support whole-home gigabit coverage, multi-gigabit connectivity for venues, and higher data streams such as those used for AR and VR experiences.
Wi-Fi 6E connects devices to routers and modems that support the Wi-Fi 6E standard, but it is a newer technology that is not widely used. Wi-Fi 6E routers are widely available, but because they have only recently become available, many people and businesses have not yet upgraded. Wi-Fi 6E routers include the 6GHz band in addition to the 2.4 and 5GHz bands, and in order to use 6GHz, you must have both a Wi-Fi 6E router and a Wi-Fi 6E device.
Because Wi-Fi 6E requires both routers and devices to support the standard, it is currently largely an empty band with little traffic, which means iPhone 15 Pro models with Wi-Fi 6E will be able to connect to Wi-Fi 6E networks with little traffic from other devices.
Unknownz21 has previously leaked information on devices such as the iPhone 14, and in 2020, he was able to obtain a copy of iOS 14 prior to its release, sharing details about the update. According to Unknownz21, the diagram is “just the tip of the iceberg,” and that additional leaks on the iPhone 15 series, including full images, will be coming ahead of the iPhone 15 models’ entry into the EVT (engineering validation test) stage in March.
He also obtained documents confirming that the iPhone 15 Pro models will have faster 3nm A17 chips and solid-state volume and power buttons. The iPhone 15 models will retain the A16 chips that were previously rumoured and will not include the redesigned volume buttons. Source