Right, have a look at this. Huawei has just unveiled what might be one of the smartest-looking bits of tech to hit the market in a while.
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking this new Huawei X3 Pro WiFi 7 router was a rather chic decorative lamp. The clever bit is that Huawei has modelled it on a mountain range, using that distinctive silhouette to cleverly conceal a series of internal antennas. It even features built-in lighting, though it’s a subtle affair – you can only tweak the ambiance between cool and warm hues.
Underneath the stylish exterior, it’s properly equipped. For starters, Huawei has created a smaller satellite unit to help you build out a mesh network, promising peak theoretical speeds of up to 3,570 Mbps on the 6 GHz band. Round the back, the X3 Pro itself offers three Gigabit Ethernet ports, with two of those meeting the faster 2.5 Gbit/s standard. A particularly handy feature is the support for PowerLAN, which lets you extend the connection between the main router and its satellites through your home’s electrical wiring – a nifty alternative to relying solely on a wireless backhaul.
As for the damage to your wallet, in China the X3 Pro router on its own will set you back CNY1,299 (~RM758), while a bundle with one satellite comes in at CNY1,999 (~RM1,166). If you fancy adding more satellites later, each one retails separately for CNY799 (~RM466). The catch for those of us outside China? Huawei hasn’t given any indication yet on whether it plans to sell the X3 Pro globally.