This is the first of several gadget reports to come that will explore how you might want to make the most of your hard-earned bonuses.
While many teams at securities-trading firms are wondering if and when they will get a bonus for this year, most have gotten their bonuses for 2024 by now and might be looking for that special gadget, offering, or service that might improve their surroundings, especially on the technology front.
With that in mind, I visited the booth of TP-Link Systems, which took part in Pepcom’s Spring Spectacular, a media-only event held for providers of consumer goods and services. TP-Link is an Irvine, Calif.-based provider of networking and smart home solutions, which were on display as part of its 2025 Spring Collection.
TP-Link hopes that consumers (with or without bonuses) will take advantage of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7, or WiFi 7, an upgrade of sorts for WiFi connections.
Grygo is the chief content officer for FTF & FTF News.
The Wi-Fi Alliance has been promoting WiFi 7 as the “next level of Wi-Fi performance” because it is intended to enhance “Wi-Fi performance in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands,” according to WiFi Alliance officials. The key applications that Wi-Fi 7 supports are “augmented, virtual, and extended reality (AR/VR/XR), immersive 3D training, and ultra-high definition video streaming.” Among the touted benefits for products and services that conform to Wi-Fi 7 are: higher throughput, increased robustness and reliability, and reduced power consumption.
For TP-Link Systems, WiFi 7 support has been a question of timing, Carlos Angulo, senior product marketing manager, TP-Link Systems Inc., tells FTF News. There is a greater demand for Wi-Fi 7 support now than two years ago when TP-Link Systems first introduced offerings that support the new standard.
For a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or other electronic device to take advantage of WiFi 7, it needs integrated circuit chips that meet the standard and facilitate better system-level speed, latency, and capacity. The good news is that major chipmakers have jumped on the WiFi 7 chipset bandwagon to meet consumer demand.
“One of the challenges [in 2023] was that there weren’t enough clients out there in the marketplace. Now, in 2025, you’ve got some flagship devices out there that now support this technology,” Angulo says. Some of those flagship devices are the Apple iPhone 16, other smartphones, the PlayStation 5 Pro, and many new tablets and laptops.
Some of TP-Link’s offerings for WiFi 7 are:
- Deco BE68: A tri-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh system with 14 gigabits per second (Gbps) speeds and 10 Gbps ports for whole-home coverage;
- Archer BE600: A high-speed tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router (up to 9.7 Gbps) for 8K streaming, gaming, and virtual reality;
- Tapo Smart Video Doorbell & DL110 Smart Lock: The security devices offer artificial intelligence-based detection and voice control;
- Tapo RV30 Max Plus Robot Vacuum: 5300Pa suction, LiDAR+IMU navigation, and smart auto-empty dock; and
- Tapo C402 Solar Cam: Wire-free 1080p outdoor security camera with color night vision and person detection.
At the event, TP-Link had on display “a flagship match system” featuring “a 10 gig LAN connection, a 2.5 gig connection, 14 gigs of tri-band, over 8,000 square feet of coverage, under $700. This is great for a large home, a large, connected home,” Angulo adds.
The move up to WiFi 7 will not require consumers to scrap their current infrastructure, but they will likely need a new router.
The Archer BE600 router
The TP-Link offerings “are all fully interoperable with any Wi-Fi device, so they wouldn’t have to replace any device that they have on the client side. Now, if they have an existing router, that would be the device that you would have to replace,” Angulo says.
How much is the router?
There is a range of prices for routers. “We are the only brand out there right now that has a Wi-Fi 7 router under $100. It’s available at Walmart now, and that’ll range up. So there are higher-end solutions at the $199 and at the $249 brackets, and further up. Then on the mesh side, we’re the only brand in the market right now that has a Wi-Fi 7 mesh, a three-pack, under $200,” he says.
So, those with bonuses who are in the market for WiFi 7-level offerings must make certain their new gadgets have the right chipset and the right router in order to get the most from the new standard.
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