Apple has achieved another milestone in its pursuit of chip independence with the advancement of its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, designated N1.This move further reduces the company’s reliance on external suppliers and signals a growing commitment to controlling more of its hardware ecosystem.
The N1 chip, recently documented with the FCC, currently supports 160 MHz channels in the 6 GHz band, half the potential of Wi-Fi 7’s 320 MHz capability. While this limits peak speeds, Apple likely prioritized energy efficiency for mobile applications. More powerful iterations of N1 are anticipated for future devices like iPads and Macs,were power consumption is less critical.Despite the current limitation, widespread support for Wi-Fi 7 routers utilizing the full 320 MHz bandwidth remains limited, minimizing immediate impact.
apple previously designed W and H series chips for wireless connectivity in headphones and other accessories, but these focused exclusively on minimizing power draw rather than maximizing performance. The N1 represents a critically important leap forward,demonstrating Apple’s increasing capabilities in wireless technology and its strategic shift towards greater hardware self-sufficiency.
