RichWave sees Wi-Fi 7 growth outrunning memory price pressure

Realtek’s confidence in Wi-Fi 7 growth underscores a structural advantage for RF front-end vendors during generational tech transitions. While rising memory costs compress margins across networking gear, Wi-Fi 7’s demanding multi-link, high-frequency architecture forces OEMs to prioritize RF performance—bolstering pricing power for specialists like Realtek. Technically, this accelerates GaN-on-SiC adoption in PAs and pushes PCB materials toward ultra-low-loss formulations. On compliance, U.S. export controls on advanced packaging may delay Chinese module makers’ Wi-Fi 7 ramp, widening the tech gap with Taiwanese supply chains. Broadcom and Qualcomm will likely counter by bundling 5G/Wi-Fi 7 SoCs to erode standalone RF solutions. Over the next 18 months, Wi-Fi 7 won’t just be a consumer feature—it will become the data backbone for AI edge devices. Firms mastering RF-baseband co-optimization will seize pricing leadership in next-gen hardware.