A new class action claims Apple's iPhone 17 and 18 models lack core Wi-Fi 7 features.

Terald Smith filed a class action lawsuit against Apple Inc. on Oct. 16, 2026, in the Superior Court of California for Santa Clara County.

The complaint alleges Apple markets its iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 models as Wi-Fi 7 devices when they lack the capabilities to support it.

Wi-Fi 7 and the iPhone's limitations

Wi-Fi 7 is the newest generation of wireless internet, which the Wi-Fi Alliance industry group launched in January 2024. It reportedly gives devices a wider path for data and packs more data into each signal, allowing faster speeds.

The proposed class action claims the iPhone 17 and 18 models cannot receive data from the 320 MHz channel and 4096-QAM required for Wi-Fi 7. They allegedly use Apple’s wireless networking chip, which is limited to a 160 MHz channel width and to 1024-QAM. As a result, lawsuit says the phones take in data from a Wi-Fi 7 router at less than half the speed the router sends.

Apple's marketing includes a footnote saying Wi-Fi 7 is available in countries and regions where supported, according to the complaint. It claims that note does not warn buyers about the limits and that Apple flagged only one of them on a technical page for corporate IT teams.

Smith's reported experience

Smith claims he bought an iPhone 17 Pro Max based on its Wi-Fi 7 marketing and would not have bought it, or would have paid less, had Apple disclosed the limits.

In a test the complaint describes, Smith compared his new phone's internet speeds with those of an older iPhone 15 running Wi-Fi 6 and found the older phone delivered roughly the same speeds and was sometimes faster.

The legal claim

The lawsuit brings a claim under California's Unfair Competition Law, which bars unfair and fraudulent business practices. It alleges buyers had no way to avoid harm because no iPhone setting or accessory can make the products compatible with Wi-Fi 7.

Smith seeks repayment of part of what class members paid plus an order barring Apple from advertising the phones with Wi-Fi 7 without disclosing the limits. The requested relief would also make Apple correct its sales materials and online support page, notify class members and pay attorneys' fees.

What the lawsuit means for iPhone 17 and 18 owners

The proposed class covers California residents who bought a new iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, 18 Pro or 18 Pro Max in the state for their own use and still lived there when Smith filed the lawsuit.

There is no settlement, no claims process and no money available at this time.