A major surprise emerged from the CES 2026 conference, where several top tech brands showcased their latest Wi-Fi 8 routers and chips. The news sent shockwaves through the industry, especially considering that most consumers are still getting used to Wi-Fi 7.
As expected, Wi-Fi 8 promises to revolutionize home networking by offering improved stability, higher speeds, and better power efficiency compared to its predecessor. Unlike Wi-Fi 7, which focused on speed upgrades, Wi-Fi 8 prioritizes reducing dropped connections and lag while maintaining seamless performance even when devices are moved around or further away from the router.
One notable example of this new technology is Asus's ROG NeoCore concept router, a sleek polyhedral design that boasts no antennas. Although it's just a prototype for now, the company claims that its production model will offer comparable speeds to Wi-Fi 7 but with higher throughput and lower latency.
Other major tech brands, including Broadcom and MediaTek, also announced their plans to integrate Wi-Fi 8 technology into their products. This includes residential routers, service provider gateways, enterprise access points, smartphones, laptops, TVs, and smart home devices.
While these new routers and chips are generating significant excitement in the industry, it's worth noting that the official IEEE 802.11bn specification for Wi-Fi 8 hasn't been finalized yet, with an expected ratification date of mid to late 2028. However, brands like Asus plan to launch their first Wi-Fi 8 products this year, using a draft version of the spec and planning for future firmware updates.
In a statement to The Verge, Kevin Robinson, CEO of the non-profit Wi-Fi Alliance, emphasized that the current Wi-Fi ecosystem is eager to explore the next generation of Wi-Fi technology. "What you are seeing at CES around Wi-Fi 8 reflects industry excitement for the next generation of Wi-Fi," he said.
In light of this development, those planning to upgrade their home networks in the near future may want to consider holding off until more details about Wi-Fi 8 become available.
As expected, Wi-Fi 8 promises to revolutionize home networking by offering improved stability, higher speeds, and better power efficiency compared to its predecessor. Unlike Wi-Fi 7, which focused on speed upgrades, Wi-Fi 8 prioritizes reducing dropped connections and lag while maintaining seamless performance even when devices are moved around or further away from the router.
One notable example of this new technology is Asus's ROG NeoCore concept router, a sleek polyhedral design that boasts no antennas. Although it's just a prototype for now, the company claims that its production model will offer comparable speeds to Wi-Fi 7 but with higher throughput and lower latency.
Other major tech brands, including Broadcom and MediaTek, also announced their plans to integrate Wi-Fi 8 technology into their products. This includes residential routers, service provider gateways, enterprise access points, smartphones, laptops, TVs, and smart home devices.
While these new routers and chips are generating significant excitement in the industry, it's worth noting that the official IEEE 802.11bn specification for Wi-Fi 8 hasn't been finalized yet, with an expected ratification date of mid to late 2028. However, brands like Asus plan to launch their first Wi-Fi 8 products this year, using a draft version of the spec and planning for future firmware updates.
In a statement to The Verge, Kevin Robinson, CEO of the non-profit Wi-Fi Alliance, emphasized that the current Wi-Fi ecosystem is eager to explore the next generation of Wi-Fi technology. "What you are seeing at CES around Wi-Fi 8 reflects industry excitement for the next generation of Wi-Fi," he said.
In light of this development, those planning to upgrade their home networks in the near future may want to consider holding off until more details about Wi-Fi 8 become available.
The emergence of Wi-Fi 8 at CES 2026 is a significant milestone in the evolution of wireless networking tech 
. With its focus on improving stability, reducing dropped connections, and maintaining seamless performance, it's exciting to see top brands like Asus and Broadcom jumping on board 
. While the official spec hasn't been finalized yet, I think it's great that these companies are already pushing out draft versions and planning for future firmware updates 
.
. We've seen this trend before with new tech releases – all the hype but no substance 
. Still, it's hard to deny the excitement around this new tech, especially for those planning to upgrade their home networks soon 
.
. We don't want to see a fragmented ecosystem with devices only working together on certain frequencies or standards 
. With careful planning, Wi-Fi 8 could bring significant benefits to consumers, but we need to be cautious about the potential pitfalls too 
.
! Like, I know it's still early days and stuff, but the speed and stability upgrades are def going to make a huge difference in my home network. And can you believe Asus is trying out no antennas on their new router? That's wild 
! Of course, it's not all sunshine and rainbows – we gotta wait for the official spec to be finalized 
. But I'm excited to see how these new routers and chips turn out. Maybe it'll give me a reason to upgrade my old laptop 
.
Still, I guess it's progress and all that 
. Can't wait to see how Asus's new router turns out - polyhedral design is straight fire 
! And hopefully they can iron out some of those latency issues ASAP 
. It's like, super important for gaming and streaming and all that jazz. I was skeptical at first when they said Wi-Fi 7 wasn't stable enough, but now it sounds like Wi-Fi 8 is gonna be a game changer 
. I'm hoping those first Wi-Fi 8 products come out this year so I can get one ASAP 
THE FACT THAT ASUS IS WORKING ON A ROUTER WITHOUT ANTENNAS IS JUST MIND-BLOWING, LIKE WHO NEEDS ANTS WHEN YOU CAN HAVE SPEED AND POWER EFFICIENCY????? 
I MEAN, COME ON, WI-FI ALLIANCE, GET IT TOGETHER ALREADY! 
.
. I mean, sure, Asus's ROG NeoCore concept router looks sick 
?
! But for now, I'm just going to keep a close eye on these developments and see what's really under the hood 
.
just think about how much faster our internet will be in like 2 years 
But with Wi-Fi 8, that's just going to be a thing of the past. And Asus's ROG NeoCore concept router is giving me LIFE! 
I'm excited to see what other brands are gonna bring to the table too... like, Broadcom and MediaTek, yeah! 
bBroadcom and MediaTek are also jumping on the bandwagon which means better speeds and lower latency for our fave devices. cant wait for the production models btw 
. And no antennas on Asus's ROG NeoCore concept router? That's straight fire