Nest Wifi almost certain appears at FCC with Wi-Fi 6E on board

Enlarge / We can't show you the new router Google's Nest Wifi, because it's private. But "white" and "spherical" are very good bets. Google (video again)

Google has a new device pending FCC approval, and all signs point to it being an updated Nest Wifi router that not only addresses the noticeable lack of Wi -Fi 6 on its latest model, but leaps forward to Wi-Fi 6E.

In FCC documents made available yesterday, Google asked the FCC to keep its schematics and operational details confidential, including an "internal proprietary antenna solution consisting of 6 antennas". As Android Police pointed out, the filings also show support for the 6 GHz frequencies of Wi-Fi 6E. There are also the standard 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, Bluetooth Low-Energy, and the 2.4 GHz frequencies that the Thread smart home connection standard is based on.

The model number (A4R-G6ZUC) is similar to other Nest products, and 9to5Google says it has confirmed this is the number for the next Nest Wifi router.

In late 2019, when Google skipped Wi-Fi 6 for Nest Wifi, citing (questionable) cost concerns, we found that a Wi-Fi 6 router wouldn't do much for a mostly crowded home of Wi-Fi 5 and 4 devices (i.e. 802.11ac and 802.11n). And yet, if Nest's router and points had used Wi-Fi 6, their ability to use this newly freed spectrum space to talk to new devices, and especially for node-to-node traffic forwarding, would have been able to enjoy houses full of noise. devices or those that compete with the equipment of close neighbors.

It's the same story with Wi-Fi 6E. There is currently a small list of devices using relatively new Wi-Fi 6E: Pixel 6 and 6a, Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra, some brand new laptops (except the latest MacBook Air), and any PC that you upgrade yourself with a 6E card. Wi-Fi 6E also allows devices to use the wider 80 and 160 MHz channels, opening up capacity and reducing interference.

Enlarge / Broadcom graphic illustrating the difference between a noisy 5 GHz channel and a clean 6 GHz channel. Broadcom

Please note that this FCC statement pertains to a Nest Wifi router only. It's unclear if Google will offer Nest hubs with built-in speakers, as it does...