Apple to crank up connectivity with 5G Wi-Fi in 2013 Macs?

While Apple products usually get a lot of attention for their appearances, a new rumor suggests that the next line of Macs will turn heads with next gen Wi-Fi capabilities.

The Next Web reported that sources close to Apple are aware of a deal between the firm and Broadcom for orders of 802.11ac chips.

802.11ac, often dubbed as 5G Wi-Fi, is the next advancement in Wi-Fi technology promising much faster speeds with improved range, reliability, and power efficiency than the current 802.11n chips.

While the fastest 802.11n Wi-Fi speeds max out at around 450Mbps with three antennas, that is the speed a single 802.11ac antenna starts at. With three antennas, 802.11ac could break the gigabit barrier, reaching speeds of 1.3Gbps.

802.11ac chips can also support up to eight antennas, potentially reaching ridiculously fast connection speeds.

A revolution for Wi-Fi

The first wave of 802.11ac routers launched in the end of 2012, with models like the Belkin AC 1200 DB, Linksys EA6500, and Netgear D6300.

According to the unnamed sources, the chips Broadcom is providing are still in development, but are on schedule to materialize in time for the next line of Mac computers.

The rumor seems to be using Mac as a catch-all term, referring to the chip's inclusion in both iMac and Macbook lines.

There is no word on 5G Wi-Fi making the cut for the next round of iPhones or iPads, which is understandable with how new the technology is.