Skip to main content

Apple partnering with Broadcom to bring 5G Wi-Fi to 2013 Macs

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple may be on the verge of pushing the next major wireless standard this year. According to The Next Web, Cupertino is partnering with Broadcom to bring high-speed 802.11ac wireless connectivity to its upcoming Mac lineup.

IEEE 802.11ac, otherwise known as 5G Wi-Fi, is the next generation of networking standards currently being developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. It rests on the 5GHz wireless frequency, and promises speeds, according to Broadcom, three times faster and six times more power-efficient than legacy 802.11a/b/g/n networks that presently reside on the crowded 2.4GHz channel.

Suffice it to say, that means extremely speedy Internet for Mac users, moving along at speeds at up to 1Gb per second.

Broadcom is one of only a handful of companies, including Qualcomm and Mediatek, supporting the new standard, which is undergoing late-stage revisions and is slated for final approval this November. While Asus began producing its first notebooks with 5G chipsets last year, the industry at large has been slow to move forward on the technology. However, an early 2011 study showed the Wi-Fi Alliance projecting 802.11ac connectivity surging to one billion devices by 2015.

Apple designing Macs with these chipset could be a boon for users, regardless of their ecosystem of choice. How Macs interact with one another will make streaming content via AirPlay almost instantaneous and easy. What’s more, building 5G wireless into such products as the iPad and iPhone can’t be too far behind. This move could be the push the industry needs to adopt this new super-fast standard and push it into homes everywhere.

Editors' Recommendations

Kwame Opam
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kwame graduated from Stony Brook University with BA in Anthropology and has a Masters in Media Studies. He's done stints at…
The best MacBook to buy in 2024
Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

Now that Apple has started outfitting its laptops with its M3 generation of chips, it's time to take another look at which is the best MacBook to buy in 2024. That’s not always easy, though, as buying the newest MacBook isn’t always the right decision. Apple has several tiers of performance, as well as various sizes, which can further complicate the matter.

What’s more, you can also still get M1 and M2 MacBooks, some from Apple’s own website and some from third-party retailers. But are they still worth your money? Our guide should help you decide.

Read more
9 best laptops of 2024: tested and reviewed
The MacBook Air on a white table.

To earn the crown as the best laptop in 2024, a device needs to have it all: gorgeous design, killer performance, a productive keyboard, long-lasting battery life, and much more.

Each of the laptops below has been vetted thoroughly by Digital Trends. Whether it's an affordable Chromebook or a top-of-the-line gaming laptop, they've all been subjected to real-world testing, as well as benchmark and battery tests, to collect enough data to objectively pit them against each other.

Read more
All the ways Intel Macs are still better than Apple Silicon Macs
cheap macbook deals

MacBooks are pretty amazing these days. Thanks to the efficiency of Apple Silicon, you get all-day battery life, as well as the ability to edit videos when unplugged from power. The new MacBook Air with the M3 chip is even good enough for gaming.

All of that is in contrast to the Intel Macs of the past.

Read more