Old or new is just relative and general assumption only. Older models are usually lest modern than newer ones.
Wifi AC 5Ghz (802.11ac) is definitely newer than Wifi N 2.4Ghz (802.11n).
However, not all new devices support wifi AC 5Ghz. Even if it supports, there is also difference in speed supported due to antenna & chipset used inside the device.
Even some smartphones/laptops selling in 2018 or 2019 still 'skimp' on the wifi AC support, where they only use wifi N 2.4Ghz in the device to save cost and sell cheaper.You should check the spec of the device to be sure. Just check the specs and models of your wifi USB dongle, Wifi cards (laptop), smartphone and the wifi router first. Every model is different in their own.
Older devices we can safely say are less modern. But we can't say this to all devices because old phones like Note5, galaxy s8, iPhone6/7 are still good on wifi AC 5Ghz speed because they were the high end models at their launch time (premium models and still going strong).
Like new cars, not all are given the extra features of push start button, keyless entry, reverse camera, 6 air bags, multi-port usb chargers, and all the fancy stuff. It depends on which tier you buy. More money put in, more features with latest techs.
But as time goes, all these basic features will slowly become a 'standard' if the manufacturer wants to do it for an added cost.
Maybe they just clearance the old chips.. Even some multifunction printer selling in 2018 or 2019 still cannot copy(or printing) A4 in full size(the page number will be truncated
)..