Wi-Fi 7 is about to finally hit our phones, computers, and other devices. It’s certainly faster than Wi-Fi 6, but it’s the way it’s faster that’s more interesting.

The Wi-Fi Alliance just announced that it has begun certifying Wi-Fi 7 devices , but that’s not all. The technology is already available in Wi-Fi 7 routers and is lying dormant in the chips of some phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, waiting to be activated. But now that official certification is out, expect to see Wi-Fi 7 in laptops, phones, tablets, and more. And it’s when you start loading up your Wi-Fi network with those gadgets that you’ll see the biggest benefits.

“Wi-Fi 7 promises to deliver a significant performance boost for the average home user, especially in environments with multiple devices connected simultaneously,” IT and cybersecurity expert Anthony Green told Lifewire via email. “With features like increased throughput and improved frequencies, users will enjoy faster data speeds, potentially up to 46 Gbps (5x faster), and reduced latency, making a significant difference for bandwidth-intensive activities like 4K/8K streaming, virtual reality applications, and online gaming.”

Technically, the next Wi-Fi version after 6 isn’t 7, but 6E, which includes some of the extras from 7. But to keep us from losing any sleep, we’re going to look (mostly) at the differences between 6 and 7. And they’re pretty compelling.