Early tests indicate the iPhone 16 Pro delivers up to 26% faster download speeds than the iPhone 15 Pro. This is thanks to its new Snapdragon X75 modem, which supports 5G Advanced and enhanced carrier aggregation.
Besides faster speeds, the new Qualcomm modem consumes less power, boosting battery life.
New Qualcomm modem behind iPhone 16 Pro’s faster data speeds
Every year, Apple uses the latest Snapdragon baseband on its newest iPhones for the best connectivity experience. The company previously used to dual source its modem from Intel. After Intel sold off its struggling modem business to Apple, the latter exclusively switched to using Qualcomm’s baseband on its devices.
Apple uses Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon X75 modem on its 2024 iPhones. Early SpeedSmart speed tests indicate this allows the iPhone 16 Pro to provide nearly 24% faster mobile data speeds than its predecessor.
Photo: SpeedSmart
On Verizon and T-Mobile’s network, the new iPhone consistently averaged download speeds of over 400Mbps. In comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro averaged speeds of around 324Mbps on Verizon’s network and 376Mbps on T-Mobile’s network.
Average download speeds on AT&T jumped to 296Mbps on the iPhone 16 Pro vs. 214Mbps on the iPhone 15 Pro, which uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X70 modem.
Apple is developing an in-house 5G modem that could debut on its 2025 iPhone SE. Even then, the company should continue using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon modem on its devices. That’s because the 5G modem deal between the two companies only expires in 2027.
iPhone 16 also provides faster upload speeds
More importantly, the report notes a 22.1% increase in upload speeds across all three major US carriers on the new iPhone. The average speed is now over 30Mbps, with T-Mobile leading the pack with upload speeds of 37Mbps.
Apple also added WI-Fi 7 support to the iPhone 16 lineup. With a compatible router, the new phones should provide significantly faster download/upload speeds than their predecessors, especially in busy areas.
Apart from faster data speeds, the iPhone 16’s new modem will allow for better network connectivity in areas with spotty coverage. This should help improve your iPhone’s battery life, as it won’t have to constantly hunt for a signal.