WiFi standards are also evolving, improving both data speeds and range of the wireless networks, while lowering power consumption.

A new standard, 802.11ax (WiFi 6), building on the foundation of WiFi 4 and WiFi 5, operates in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The first smartphone supporting WiFi 6 came out in 2019. WiFi 6 has a theoretical maximum peak transmission rate at ~10 Gpbs

Staying at the forefront of WiFi standards is a tricky business for vendors as they need to not only anticipate when a new standard will be commonly available, but also know which standards will not be commonly implemented.

Nevertheless, WiFi will remain a check-box item for smartphones, and increasingly for feature phones. No obvious technology has yet appeared on the horizon that will replace it. However, WiFi standards will continue to evolve, making it important for vendors to understand which standards to focus on for future evolutions.

Clients of our Device Technologies (EDT) service can learn more about technological evolution in different regions from the report Analysis: Global Smartphone Sales Forecast by WiFi Technology to 2027.