But that's not all; Broadcom also announced the BCM4918 Wi-Fi 8 APU, which is compatible with the BCM6714, BCM6719, and BCM6718. This system-on-chip is designed for high-performance computing and AI acceleration. Not only does it include an onboard neural engine for on-device AI/ML inference and acceleration, but it also features dedicated network engines to handle wireless and wired traffic, bypassing the CPU. It supports multi-gigabit Ethernet for powering your high-flying wired network. The chip also enabled Edge-AI processing and real-time network optimization.
Broadcom says it is already sampling the BCM6714 and BCM6719 to its "early access customers," pointing to general availability in consumer-grade networking products by the end of 2026, a similar timeline to MediaTek's . This seems doable, as we've already seen prototype Wi-Fi 8 hardware this week at CES , and Asus even told us that its first-generation Wi-Fi 8 products will launch later this year, with second-generation hardware coming in 2027.
Wi-Fi 8 is designed to improve reliability and lower latency rather than deliver a massive uplift in theoretical speeds (as had been the case with previous Wi-Fi iterations). Instead of obscene theoretical speeds that consumers likely won't see in the real world, the IEEE says that Wi-Fi 8 will deliver up to a 25 percent improvement in real-world speeds while reducing latency. Asus specifically highlighted improvements to mid-range throughput and showcased a 10 percent uplift in throughput over its fastest Wi-Fi 7 router with early prototypes.
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Key considerations
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Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/routers/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/networking/routers/broadcom-announces-two-dual-band-wi-fi-8-chips-performance-bifurcation-introduced-with-wi-fi-7-lives-on-with-the-next-gen#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.