We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
Up Next:
The latest Ookla report on the phones with fastest 5G download speeds in the US showed two atypical winners - Apple's new iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro - which clocked a 215 Mbps and 189 Mbps median download speeds, respectively.
What's more, there was "no statistical winner in the United States during Q4 2023" between Apple's iPhones and Samsung's Galaxies that have been at the top of this ranking for years now.
Samsung vs Apple carrier network download speeds
Well, Samsung's phones did score a tad higher, 114 Mbps median download speed, but with the advent of the iPhone 15 Pro line Apple apparently managed to finally catch up to Samsung phones like the Galaxy S23 series when it comes to 5G speeds. What happened?
iPhone 15 Pro: Get free AirPods (2nd-gen) and save up to $1,100 with trade-in
$0
$1099
99
$1100 off (100%)
Grab an iPhone 15 Pro for $100 off its price by getting it with a new line from AT&T through Best Buy. You will also receive a pair of free AirPods (2nd-gen) as a gift. Trade in your old phone for additional savings of up to $1000!
Apple iPhone 15 Pro: Save up to $1,100 with trade-in
$100
$1199
99
$1100 off (92%)
Grab an iPhone 15 Pro Max for $100 less by getting it with a new line from AT&T through Best Buy. Trade in your old smartphone for additional savings of up to $1000!
Apple embraced Qualcomm, that's what. The world's most advanced cellular connectivity chip maker is supplying the Snapdragon X70 5G modem inside the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, and that's the same one that Samsung uses for the Galaxy S23 series as well. One look at the modems and chipsets that top the US carrier speed rankings and it immediately becomes clear how did Apple manage to finally catch up with Samsung:
Snapdragon X70 (standalone Apple A17 Pro modem) - 205.38 Mbps down /14.10 Mbps up / 53 ms latency
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (Galaxy S23) - 173.55 Mbps download / 13.13 Mbps upload / 52 ms latency
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (Galaxy Z Fold 4) - 169.27 Mbps download / 11.95 Mbps upload / 53 ms latency
Apparently, gone are the days when Apple used Intel modems for its first 5G-enabled iPhones out of spite and the fiasco that ensued when their download speeds were compared to Samsung phones, or even to next-gen iPhones with a Qualcomm modem.
In fact, despite all of its experience making top-shelf A-series chipsets for iPhones, iPads, and even Macs, Apple couldn't resolve all of the complexities of a power-sipping 5G modem with all of the frequency support and interference filters that have to be in there and certified by carriers around the globe.
The chip Apple actually made after a couple of years of engineering efforts was so big that it could occupy half of the internal space in an iPhone, so it had to resort to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X-series modems yet again. Apple poached a number of Intel and Qualcomm employees for its modem project codenamed Sinope, but it immediately faced insurmountable challenges. When the first prototype was tested, for instance, Apple saw that it is very slow and gets hot fast. The biggest change of heart, however, occurred because of the size of Apple's initial effort, with the resulting modem circuit board as large as half an iPhone.
Recommended Stories
Qualcomm's X70 5G chip occupies a fraction of Apple's own homebrew modem space
In short, Apple tried and failed to create a 5G modem of its own, and decided to simply pay to resolve all legal disputes with Qualcomm and sign up for a long-term partnership over cellular connectivity. It is now rumored to have frozen its 5G modem "Sinope" project indefinitely, too. An apparently good move, considering that the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are now the fastest phones when it comes to download speeds in the US, after years of languishing in Samsung's shadows.
T-Mobile could throw a monkey wrench in the iPhone's download joy
T-Mobile already announced that there are unique 5G network upload speed optimizations that only the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra will be able to take advantage of, so we can't wait for the clash of the Apple vs Samsung titans on its network:
T-Mobile’s 5G standalone network has four-carrier aggregation and soon uplink carrier aggregation – the only network with these capabilities from a top provider in the United States - delivering up to 90% faster uplink speeds than the Samsung Galaxy S23 and enhancing video livestreaming, video calling and gaming. That means uploading a video is twice as fast at T-Mobile.
The S24 Ultra 5G modem specs are again superior to the 15 Pro Max"
Thus, with the imminent arrival of the Galaxy S24 series, the iPhone 15 Pro's 5G superiority may turn out to be short-lived. After all, the S24 series is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset that integrates a Snapdragon X75 5G modem that will again be a generation ahead of what the iPhone 15 Pro is now offering, and Apple will only catch up to it with the iPhone 16 series.
Galaxy S24 Ultra is $410 off at Amazon
$410 off (29%)
The S24 Ultra is available at Amazon. You can get it at Amazon for $410 off its original price. This is the 512GB model.
You can purchase a fully unlocked Galaxy S24 Ultra via the official Samsung store. The almighty AI genius sells for up to $750 off with eligible trade-ins. Select colorways are available right now.
The X75 5G modem is still rated for 10 Mbps download speed maximums, though, so on other carriers it may not offer the same carrier speed advantages as it will on T-Mobile's 5G network, save for the uplink.
Still, even if Apple gets beat by Samsung again and the iPhone 15 Pro loses out to the Galaxy S24 series on AT&T and Verizon, too, its Qualcomm modem change of heart would still be the right move given the iPhone's newfangled stellar performance when it comes to carrier network download speeds.
Create a free account and join our vibrant community
Register to enjoy the full PhoneArena experience. Here’s what you get with your PhoneArena account:
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: