Intel’s 10th Gen Ice Lake CPUs (which you’ll find in 2-in-1 devices like the HP Spectre X360 and clamshell laptops such as the HP Envy) offer a ton of benefits, with arguably one of the best ones being that the chip is compatible with Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6 is the latest Wi-Fi standard out there, and with each passing day more and more locations are upgrading their routers to support Wi-Fi 6 devices. But just what does Wi-Fi 6 bring to the table, anyway? Here are six great ways that Wi-Fi 6 can and will improve your experience with web browsing and beyond.
Better raw speeds
Right out of the gate, the most noticeable benefit that Wi-Fi 6 will provide to users is a sizable increase in throughput speeds between a device and the network it’s connected to. Specifically, according to Intel, users will potentially see a peak increase of 40 percent with Wi-Fi 6 compared to the previous Wi-Fi standard. Users will be able to feel this increase all the time during usage, and people who like to stream video in particular will love the boost to speed, as it will significantly increase stream stability.
Increased network stability
Wi-Fi 6 networks are considerably more stable than ones that use the previous standard, which in turn means that you’re a lot less likely to experience any connection issues while using the network. This will be especially noticeable when using a network that has several devices connected to it at once, as the better stability will help networks balance the increased stress that comes from multiple connections.
Increased network capacity
Wi-Fi 6 networks also have a greater capacity for simultaneous connections than the last Wi-Fi standard. They come with a brand new improved version of the multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology that networks use to stream data to several devices at one time. Previously, networks were limited to only being able to handle four simultaneous connections before resorting to rapid switching between devices. With Wi-Fi 6’s new MU-MIMO advancements, networks can now handle eight connections. This improvement may sound like something that will only matter in congested public areas, but in truth, it will matter a lot in the home, too. After all, the average American household has more than nine Wi-Fi devices on average.
Higher speeds in congested areas
As a result of all the stellar network improvements, Wi-Fi 6 boasts the ability to improve your throughput by up to four times while using networks that have a ton of connections at once. As long as the network you’re using is Wi-Fi 6, you’re going to see a dramatic increase in overall speed when in heavily-congested areas compared to the previous Wi-Fi standard. Whether you’re in crowded households or sports stadiums, you can expect your speeds to quadruple.
Better battery life
One of the powerful technologies that comes with Wi-Fi 6 is Target Wake Time (TWT), which allows a Wi-Fi 6 access point to minimize the amount of time a device needs to be “awake” in order to send and receive signals to the network while in sleep mode. In simple terms, this means that Wi-Fi 6 devices will use less power to stay connected than other ones do, thus resulting in a considerably better device battery life.
More effective security
Every Wi-Fi 6 network is protected by the latest Wi-Fi security protocol, WPA3. WPA3 is significantly more efficient and effective than the previous protocol, WPA2, because it has more safety measures in place to protect against password-cracking hacks. In the very, very unlikely event that one of those hacks ends up succeeding, WPA3 also comes with secondary safeguards that will shield your past network activity from intruders.
The future looks brighter with Wi-Fi 6
Wi-Fi 6 networks and devices are chock-full of exciting, beneficial features that will benefit users now, and for many years to come as well. Whether you’re looking for big increases in your browsing speed, a more stable network experience, or the latest in Wi-Fi security, a Wi-Fi 6 router and a device like the HP Pavilion X360 fitted with one of Intel’s Wi-Fi 6-enabling 10th Gen Ice Lake CPUs are your tickets to a convenient, efficient, and problem-free future with your tech.
Browse all HP laptops currently powered by Intel 10th Gen Processors here
