ASUS targets Wi-Fi 8 at CES 2026 with a new router teaser, but 802.11bn standard is not final
ASUS has started teasing a “Wi-Fi 8” device ahead of CES 2026. The images suggest it is a router, and the teaser shows an angular white and grey chassis with a “Wi-Fi 8” badge.
Wi-Fi 8 is the marketing name tied to IEEE 802.11bn, and the spec is not final yet. Samsung Research says Draft 1.0 was finalized in July 2025, and the work continues as the group moves through later drafts. MediaTek’s Wi-Fi 8 whitepaper points to a target final approval date in September 2028.
Vendors keep marketing next-gen Wi-Fi hardware while the IEEE spec is still in non-final revision. That creates risk for the buyer. He can end up paying for features that change before ratification, or features that exist on paper but are limited in real products. Wi-Fi 7 is a recent example: 320 MHz channels are part of the spec in 6 GHz, but a lot of early hardware topped out at 160 MHz, so the headline capability did not match what he could use day to day.
Wi-Fi 8 is in the same draft-era phase. Draft 1.0 exists, but the standard is still being refined with 2028 targets on the IEEE timeline. Until phones and laptops ship with 802.11bn radios at scale, a Wi-Fi 8 router teaser is just weird. Did I mention ASUS is rumored to quit phone business? Well, apparently they are not launching any device this year, and I have not heard anything about WiFi 8 support on upcoming laptops. That said, I’m not sure for whom this device is.
The router will be presented next week, but I’m not sure if anyone will be able to ‘test’ it.
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