Combating 5G Battery Drain Concerns

Posted on July 5, 2023July 5, 2023 by Mark Giles

Chipset vendors driving generational efficiency gains

5G use drains your smartphone battery faster than 4G-LTE. Ookla® Speedtest Intelligence® data shows that smartphone users accessing 5G networks experience higher battery drain than for those using 4G-LTE, of between 6% and 11%, depending on the System on Chip (SoC) in their device.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon is the most efficient Android SoC. Qualcomm’s latest flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, recorded the lowest battery drain of all SoCs in our analysis, recording 31% for users on 5G, and 25% on 4G-LTE.
Newer flagship SoCs demonstrate clear improvements in battery performance. While the gap in battery drain between 4G-LTE and 5G use does not appear to be closing over time, newer generations of SoC from Qualcomm, MediaTek, Samsung and Google all demonstrate battery efficiency gains over previous iterations. MediaTek’s latest flagship SoC, the Dimensity 9200 for example, recorded 34% battery drain when using 5G, compared to 45% for its previous generation, the Dimensity 9000.
Smartphone users concerned about 5G’s impact on battery life should consider upgrading. For users with 5G-capable devices camping on 4G-LTE networks due to battery life concerns, an upgrade to the latest flagship smartphone (and SoC) and enabling 5G service will in some cases deliver comparable battery performance. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for example recorded battery drain of 31% when using 5G, compared to 32% for the previous generation Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 on 4G-LTE.

Methodology

Analysis based on Speedtest Intelligence data, for Android, split by SoC, for a selection of major markets globally. To measure battery drain, we identified all devices recording 100% battery level during morning hours (6am-12pm), and compared to their minimum battery level in the afternoon (12pm-6pm).

ISPs Need to Do More to Improve Wi-Fi Performance in the Home

Posted on May 17, 2023May 16, 2023 by Mark Giles

Key messages

Wi-Fi woes continue. Ookla® Speedtest Intelligence® data shows Wi-Fi performance continues to lag behind ethernet performance within home networks in many advanced fixed broadband markets, with Wi-Fi speeds typically ranging from between 30-40% of ethernet speeds during Q1 2023.
Developed Asian and North American markets lead the charge to Wi-Fi 6/6E. Wi-Fi 4 and 5 remain the dominant Wi-Fi access technologies globally, accounting for a combined 89% of Speedtest® samples during Q1 2023. However, a number of advanced fixed broadband markets are rapidly migrating to Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, with China, Hong Kong (SAR), Singapore, Canada, and the U.S. leading the charge.
Growing Wi-Fi 6/6E adoption helps narrow the gap in Wi-Fi performance. In markets such as Canada, France, Germany, Singapore, Sweden, and the U.S., where the transition to fiber is more advanced, and where ISPs are actively driving adoption of Wi-Fi 6/6E routers, we see Wi-Fi performance closing the gap to ethernet. However, more needs to be done in other markets, where migration to more advanced fixed access networks is exposing the limitations of the installed base of Wi-Fi routers.
Router vendors pushing the envelope with Wi-Fi 7 capable launches. ASUS leads the market for Wi-Fi 6/6E routers among Speedtest samples, and both ASUS and other leading router vendors have been quick to launch Wi-Fi 7 capable routers. Despite this, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E remain the growing component of their installed bases. ASUS leads the market according to Speedtest Intelligence with 39% of its routers we sampled supporting Wi-Fi 6/6E during Q1 2023, well ahead of second placed NETGEAR with 26%.
Smartphone device support indicates Wi-Fi 6/6E should remain the immediate focus for ISPs. With the two largest smartphone vendors globally, Samsung and Apple, currently shunning Wi-Fi 7, ISPs waiting to see if they can leapfrog Wi-Fi 6E to Wi-Fi 7 should stay their hands. The fact that China still needs to allocate the 6 GHz spectrum band — key for Wi-Fi 6E and 7 — for unlicensed use is also significant, and appears to have weighed on the Wi-Fi 6E adoption among China’s leading Android smartphone manufacturers.

Wi-Fi performance continues to lag ethernet within the home

ISPs in advanced fixed broadband markets are increasingly looking to offer more advanced Wi-Fi routers and solutions such as mesh networks, which are designed to improve Wi-Fi coverage and performance. However, Speedtest Intelligence data shows that more needs to be done to improve Wi-Fi performance, which typically ranged from between 30-40% of ethernet speeds. Median Wi-Fi performance as measured by Speedtest will tend to lag behind median ethernet performance, depending on distance of the end-user device from the router, including any obstacles and signal interference the Wi-Fi signal needs to traverse to reach the device.

Our analysis of Speedtest Intelligence data reveals that driving greater adoption of more advanced Wi-Fi routers can help ISPs narrow the gap between Wi-Fi and ethernet performance, with ISPs in Canada, France, Germany, Singapore, Sweden, and the U.S. already successfully doing so over the past year.

Despite this, the results are not always positive, with the gap between Wi-Fi and ethernet performance widening, in particular in the U.K. and Taiwan. Where markets are rapidly migrating from more legacy fixed broadband technology to advanced cable and fiber connections, Wi-Fi performance can lag relative to ethernet, indicating a need to accelerate the adoption of more advanced Wi-Fi technologies.

Older generations of Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 remain dominant globally

While much of the focus of the device ecosystem is on spurring adoption of the latest Wi-Fi standards, there is a long way to go before even Wi-Fi 6 becomes a dominant standard globally. Based on Speedtest Intelligence data, the proportion of Wi-Fi tests by generation (a good proxy for adoption) shows that Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 remain the dominant router technology, with Wi-Fi 6 representing just under 10% as of February 2023, and Wi-Fi 7 showing very few samples. The share of samples from Wi-Fi 4 routers has fallen by 6 ppts year-over-year, while Wi-Fi 5’s share of samples has marginally increased.

Asian and North American ISPs lead the charge to Wi-Fi 6 and beyond

ISPs are the main driver behind the adoption of new Wi-Fi standards, as highlighted by a 2022 study by Parks Associates, which found that 52% of U.S. consumers acquired their router from their ISP. Rolling out more advanced routers to their customer bases enables them to take advantage of the increased performance of newer generations of Wi-Fi technology, and helps to ensure ISPs deliver faster speeds, particularly over fiber access networks.

Adoption of Wi-Fi 6 varies by market, even among the most developed fixed broadband markets globally. ISPs in a number of advanced fixed markets have already begun offering Wi-Fi 6E routers to their customer bases, with ISPs in North America in particular moving in this direction, including Bell Canada, Rogers, Telus, Verizon, XFINITY, Charter, and Frontier, as well as leading ISPs in advanced Asian and European markets.

Markets in Asia led the way on Wi-Fi 6 adoption, with China and Hong Kong both recording 42% adoption, followed by Singapore with 37%. Outside of Asia, North America showed the next highest level of adoption, with the U.S. and Canada recording 32% and 30%, respectively. European fixed markets lagged behind, with adoption ranging from 13% in the U.K., to 24% in Sweden. For markets such as Chile, which placed towards the top of the Ookla Speedtest Global Index™ for median fixed broadband speeds, a relatively low-level of Wi-Fi 6 adoption (8% in Q4 2022) signals further opportunity for ISPs in the market to boost performance.

The fastest growing markets, in terms of increasing share of Wi-Fi 6 of Speedtest samples year-over-year in Q1 2023, were Canada and Malaysia (+15 ppts), Singapore (+14 ppts), and Hong Kong (+12 ppts). While there was considerable variance between ISPs within each market, leading ISPs such as SmarTone (Hong Kong), DiGi (Malaysia), and ViewQwest (Singapore), are prompting a competitive response so that even ISPs with lower levels of Wi-Fi 6 adoption are prioritizing the technology and seeing adoption grow steadily.

Country	ISP	Wi-Fi 6 %, Q1 2023
Hong Kong (SAR)	SmarTone	62.4%
Canada	Bell pure fibre	57.3%
Singapore	ViewQwest	53.7%
Singapore	MyRepublic	50.3%
Malaysia	Digi	50.2%
Malaysia	Maxis	49.0%
Hong Kong (SAR)	NETVIGATOR	44.2%
Canada	Rogers	43.4%
Singapore	M1	41.7%
Singapore	SingTel	41.4%
Canada	Telus PureFibre	41.0%
Hong Kong (SAR)	HKBN	41.0%
Canada	Shaw	39.0%
Singapore	StarHub	35.6%
Hong Kong (SAR)	HGC	30.0%
Malaysia	TIME	28.8%
Malaysia	TM	21.5%

In addition to providing newer routers, ISPs are increasingly positioned to help consumers solve Wi-Fi performance issues in the home, such as offering mesh Wi-Fi solutions. For some ISPs, this has even taken precedence over offering newer Wi-Fi 6E routers, as they look to improved coverage within the home as a faster route to improving Wi-Fi performance.

In the U.K., BT has prioritized whole-home coverage over Wi-Fi 6E with its BT Complete Wi-Fi (mesh) offer, despite the U.K. regulator Ofcom having released the lower portion of the 6 GHz band for unlicensed use in 2020. In Canada, Telus, while having recently released a Wi-Fi 6E router for its broadband users, also offers its WiFi Plus package, which includes professional installation and “wall-to-wall coverage” throughout the home. Rogers also offers guaranteed Wi-Fi coverage throughout the home, as well as Wi-Fi 6E routers. Plume offers a subscription-based service, HomePass, across a number of markets, which allows users to add additional access points to help eradicate not-spots or poor Wi-Fi signal within the home and also offers solutions for ISPs looking to improve their Wi-Fi offerings. In Hong Kong, China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) was the first ISP in the market to offer a fiber-to-the-room service, while it and other ISPs such as NETVIGATOR offer consumers the option to subscribe to multiple channels over fiber with separate IP addresses, allowing them to divide their activities across channels and thereby help avoid congestion.

To capture the full performance benefits of Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, countries must allocate 6 GHz spectrum for unlicensed use, therefore allowing Wi-Fi devices to access this higher frequency, higher capacity spectrum, and utilize wider channels. At present, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance, allocation of the lower portion of the 6 GHz spectrum band (5,925 MHz to 6,425 MHz) is common among developed economies, with some notable exceptions in some developed markets in Asia and Asia Pacific, in particular China, while allocation of the full 6 GHz band is more limited, available across North America and some Latin American markets, as well as Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

Wi-Fi 7 on the horizon as router vendors continue to push the envelope on performance

Wi-Fi performance continues to scale, and with Wi-Fi 7 routers and smartphones having launched in the second half of 2022, that trend is set to continue. In addition to higher throughput, successive Wi-Fi generations also support lower latency, helping to better support higher quality video streaming, cloud gaming, and future use cases linked to concepts such as the Metaverse and other uses of extended reality (XR).

The major silicon vendors, Broadcom, Qualcomm, and Mediatek, were quick to update their solutions to support the emerging Wi-Fi 7 standard, and hardware vendors have followed suit. Chinese vendor H3C was the first to launch with its H3C Magic BE18000 Wi-Fi 7 router in July 2022, and it has since been followed by other major vendors including tp-link, ASUS, and more recently NETGEAR. However, the prices of early Wi-Fi 7 routers that take advantage of Wi-Fi 7’s range of enhanced performance capabilities will be a barrier to entry for many, with tp-link’s flagship Archer BE900 currently retailing at a cost of $699.99.

Speedtest Intelligence data shows minimal Wi-Fi 7 adoption as of March 2023, however we are likely to see the same vendors drive Wi-Fi 7 adoption that are currently leading on Wi-Fi 6. Based on global Speedtest Intelligence samples, we see ASUS leading the market in Wi-Fi 6 penetration, with 39% of samples recorded using Wi-Fi 6 compatible routers. NETGEAR and Belkin followed, but for the remaining major router vendors, Wi-Fi 6 penetration currently stands at close to 10% or below. Wi-Fi 6E remains a small but growing subset of Wi-Fi 6 certified devices, currently standing at 7.7% of products based on the latest Wi-Fi Alliance data. Of these, a majority are either routers or smartphones, with an almost even split between the two.

Smartphone support indicates ISPs should focus on Wi-Fi 6E for now

With Samsung releasing its Galaxy S23 range in February 2023 without Wi-Fi 7 support, and Apple’s latest iPhone 14 smartphones limited to Wi-Fi 6, it’s clear that, for now, ISPs should prioritize the rollout of Wi-Fi 6/6E among their customer bases rather than consider leapfrogging to Wi-Fi 7. The Xiaomi Mi13 Pro was the first Wi-Fi 7 capable smartphone to hit the market, launching in December 2022, although it was limited to Wi-Fi 6E initially, requiring a software update to enable Wi-Fi 7. The availability of Wi-Fi 7 supporting Android smartphones will grow through 2023, enabled by SoCs from leading vendor Qualcomm with its flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and MediaTek with its Dimensity 9200. Apple, on the other hand, lags on the latest Wi-Fi standard support, with the iPhone 14 series featuring Wi-Fi 6, and with its fall 2023 models rumored to be adding Wi-Fi 6E to their feature list.

Samsung, as the leading Android smartphone vendor globally, has the largest installed base of smartphones supporting Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, and has stolen a march on its main rivals Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo. While the major Chinese smartphone vendors have launched Wi-Fi 7 compatible devices, the lack of assignment of 6 GHz spectrum for unlicensed use in China does appear to have held them back relative to brands such as Samsung and ASUS.

The outlook for Wi-Fi in the home

It’s clear from the gap between Wi-Fi and ethernet performance that ISPs need to do more to improve the customer experience for Wi-Fi users within the home. Part of the solution lies in rolling out more advanced generations of Wi-Fi technology, given Wi-Fi 4 and 5 remain the dominant technologies deployed globally. However, evidence linking increased adoption of Wi-Fi 6 to overall Wi-Fi closing the gap to ethernet performance is mixed, and validates the approach of ISPs looking to also offer mesh networking Wi-Fi solutions. Contact us to find out more about how Ookla insights can help you monitor the performance of your networks, and stay ahead of the competition.

Early Testing Shows How Fast the New Samsung Galaxy S23 Models Are

Posted on March 27, 2023May 9, 2023 by Josh Fomon

The new Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra models launched February 17 and Ookla® is here today to see how they’ve performed over 5G against their predecessor S22 models. Our analysis looks at data from the first month after launching in 12 of the largest mobile markets with an established 5G market and the highest number of connected mobile devices during Q4 2022 according to GSMA. Previously, in October 2022, we used Speedtest Intelligence® to look at 5G performance data right after the launches of the iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 in various countries.

Note that device data differs across markets due to a variety of factors, including: 5G investments by governments and mobile operators, different 5G spectrum allocations by operator, 5G Availability, the number of and different kinds of 5G deployments, and other differences, including mobile 5G plans. Read on to learn more and see whether or not you should upgrade your Samsung S22 to a newer model.

Key takeaways:

The Samsung S23 models only statistically outperformed corresponding S22 models in Germany and two out of three models in the United States for 5G download speed, but the S23 looks poised to be faster as further 5G adoption and build out continues and more spectrum is allocated for 5G across the C-band and mmWave frequencies.

Key improvements to the new Galaxy S23 models

You want to know if the latest technology is worth the price of an upgrade when you’re looking for a new phone. The S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra have various upgrades, but when it comes to performance, here’s a quick list of what’s different between the new and older models.

All Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 models

The Samsung S23 models have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, while the Samsung S22 models have a Samsung Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
The S23 models have a Qualcomm Snapdragon X70 modem, while the S22 models have an X65 modem
The S23 models have an upgraded GPU

Samsung Galaxy S23 vs. S22 base models

The S23 has a bigger battery capacity at 3,900 mAh over the S22’s 3,700 mAh
The S23 has slightly better ultra-wide and front cameras and video recording capabilities

Samsung Galaxy S23+ vs. S22+ models

The S23+ has expanded storage capacity at a base level of 256 GB (which can be upgraded to 512 GB) over the S22+’s base of 128 GB
The S23+ has a bigger battery capacity at 4,700 mAh over the S22+’s 4,500 mAh
The S23+ has slightly better ultra-wide and front cameras and video recording capabilities

Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra vs. S22 Ultra models

The S23 Ultra has expanded storage capacity at a base level of 256 GB (which can be upgraded to 512 GB) over the S22 Ultra’s base of 128 GB
The S23 Ultra has much better main camera, with up to 200 MP vs. the S22 Ultra’s maximum of 108 MP

Samsung Galaxy S23 performance in the world’s largest mobile device markets

Brazilian S22 and S23 users saw seriously fast 5G speeds (even though 5G Availability remains low)

Speedtest Intelligence shows that the new S23 models were not yet statistically faster than the older S22 models in Brazil during the first month of launch, but they did exceed the median 5G download speed in Brazil during Q4 2022. Despite that, every S22 and S23 model had blazing fast speeds in Brazil, with median 5G download speeds faster than 400 Mbps. The S22 had a median download speed of 431.61 Mbps, the S22 Ultra was at 451.01 Mbps, and the S22+ at 451.85 Mbps. While the S23 models were not statistically faster than their S22 counterparts, the S23 had a median download speed of 459.76 Mbps, the S23 Ultra at 479.78 Mbps, and the S23+ at 494.18 Mbps. 5G upload speeds showed a similar trend, with no statistically faster S22 or S23 model, but with S22 models ranging from 35.73 Mbps to 39.42 Mbps and S23 models ranging from 39.30 Mbps to 42.59 Mbps. Multi-server latency — the latency you should expect to encounter more generally when your network is not under heavy load — ranged from 28.01 ms to 31.78 ms across all models over 5G.

Recommendation: Brazilian Galaxy S22 users should consider upgrading your phone if you can get 5G access; you’re going to get fast speeds and the new features of the S23, especially the camera of the S23 Ultra, may be worth it alone.

Chinese S23 users haven’t quite seen an improved 5G experience over S22 users

Data from the first month since the Samsung S23 launching illuminates that S23 models did not statistically outperform S22 models over 5G in China, and S23 models also didn’t quite exceed the Q4 2022 median 5G download speed. The S22 had a median 5G download speed of 267.47 Mbps, the S22 Ultra was similar at 265.65 Mbps, and the S22+ was at 301.41 Mbps. The S23 showed a median 5G download speed at 242.70 Mbps, while the S23 Ultra had a median download speed of 269.86 Mbps. 5G upload speeds on S22 models ranged from 48.40 Mbps to 62.93 Mbps, while the S23 and S23 Ultra were at 50.77 Mbps and 42.65 Mbps, respectively. While the S23 models showed lower median multi-server latency over 5G, there was no statistical winner between the S22 and S23 models. The S23+ did not meet the statistical threshold for inclusion in our analysis in China.

Recommendation: Chinese Galaxy S22 users should wait to upgrade your phone until speeds improve, unless the new S23 model hardware upgrades have you wanting a new phone.

French S23 users saw promising 5G results, S22 users might want to wait to upgrade

There was no statistically faster Samsung Galaxy S22 or S23 model over 5G in France during the first month of the S23’s release. However, median 5G download speeds for the S22 models ranged from 177.98 Mbps to 219.32 Mbps, while the S23 models ranged from 196.53 to 249.46 Mbps. 5G upload speeds showed a similar story, with no statistical winner. Upload speeds on S22 models ranged from 11.46 Mbps to 14.15 Mbps, and upload speeds on S23 models ranged from 14.89 Mbps to 19.22 Mbps. 5G multi-server latency was virtually the same for both models, which all ranged from 41.40 ms to 43.24 ms.

Recommendation: French Galaxy S22 users who want faster speeds might want to wait to upgrade your phone, but the new features of the S23 may make upgrading very tempting.

German Samsung Galaxy S22 users should feel confident upgrading to S23 models

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that German S23 users experienced faster 5G download speeds than their S22 counterparts during the first month of S23 availability across all models. The S23 outperformed the S22 for median 5G download speed, 147.26 Mbps to 112.01 Mbps, the S23 Ultra outperformed the S22 Ultra 141.56 Mbps to 124.45 Mbps, and the S23+ outperformed the S22+ 174.74 Mbps to 128.69 Mbps. Upload speeds had a bit more parity with the S22 models showing a range of 5G upload speeds from 20.47 Mbps to 26.10 Mbps, while the S23 models showed a range from 23.59 Mbps to 31.64 Mbps. Multi-server latency over 5G showed no statistical winner for either model but ranged from 36.76 ms to 38.58 ms.

Recommendation: Germany Galaxy S22 users shouldn’t hesitate to run to your operator to immediately upgrade your phone to an S23 model for faster speeds and better features.

Samsung Galaxy S23 users in Italy saw mixed 5G results after launch

New Speedtest Intelligence data reveals that while the basic S23 model outperformed the S22 model over 5G in Italy for median download speed 178.67 Mbps to 128.53 Mbps during the first month after launch, the S23 Ultra and S23+ models didn’t statistically outperform their S22 counterparts. That held true for upload speeds as well, with the S23 recording a median 5G upload speed of 21.73 Mbps to the S22’s 15.50 Mbps, while the S23 Ultra and S23+ weren’t statistically faster than the S22 Ultra and S22+, respectively. All of the S23 and S22 models during the first month of the S23 launch, except the S22 base model, were statistically faster than the 5G median download speed in Italy during Q4 2022. Median multi-server latency showed closer parity, with S22 models ranging from 45.02 ms to 47.79 ms, and S23 models ranging from 43.50 ms to 48.24 ms.

Recommendation: Unless you want a basic Galaxy S23 model and have consistent 5G access in Italy, you might want to wait to upgrade your phone to the S23 models unless you really want the new features.

Samsung Galaxy S23 showed 5G potential in the Philippines

Fresh data from Speedtest Intelligence shows that while the S23 and S23+ had faster median 5G download speeds than their S22 counterparts during the first month of the S23’s launch, there were no statistical winners between the models in the Philippines. The S23 models’ median 5G download speeds ranged from 142.31 Mbps to 185.32 Mbps, while the S22 models ranged from 131.87 Mbps to 143.57 Mbps. Median 5G upload speed for the S23 Ultra was faster than its S22 Ultra counterparts at 15.46 Mbps to 12.68 Mbps, respectively. There were no statistical winners for median multi-server latency over 5G, though the S22 models ranged from 35.42 ms to 38.39 ms, while the S23 models ranged from 34.29 ms to 35.31 ms.

Recommendation: Filippino Galaxy S22 users should upgrade their phones to the S23 models if they want new features, but shouldn’t expect faster speeds and a better experience quite yet.

Polish Samsung S23 models had a promising debut over 5G

Speedtest Intelligence data shows Poland had some of the slowest median 5G download speeds on Samsung S23 and S22 models among the countries we surveyed. While the new S23 models had a higher median 5G download speed than their counterparts during the first month after launching, there were no statistically significant faster speeds. The S23 models ranged from 83.74 Mbps to 98.99 Mbps, while the S22 models ranged from 75.70 Mbps to 80.43 Mbps. Upload speeds were similarly faster, but not statistically so, with S22 models ranging from 16.89 Mbps to 19.62 Mbps and S23 models ranging from 19.94 Mbps to 24.25 Mbps. Median multi-server latency over 5G was a mixed bag, with the new S23+ actually having a higher latency than the S22+ 44.25 ms to 38.37 ms, respectively. The other two models were too close to call.

Recommendation: Polish Galaxy S22 users can upgrade their phones to the S23 models for the new features, but might not yet experience faster 5G speeds on the new models.

Samsung S23 models in South Africa don’t live up to the hype just yet

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that the new S23 models weren’t yet statistically faster than their S22 counterparts over 5G in South Africa during the first month after launch. S22 models had median 5G download speeds that ranged from 172.07 Mbps to 206.03 Mbps, while the S23 models ranged from 187.62 Mbps to 202.10 Mbps. There was one bright note — the median 5G upload speed for the S23 Ultra was faster than the S22 Ultra 20.43 Mbps to 14.75 Mbps. Median multi-server latency showed parity over 5G for the S22 models and S23 models. The S22 models ranged from 29.06 ms to 33.75 ms, while the S23 models ranged from 31.41 ms to 32.92 ms.

Recommendation: South African Galaxy S22 users should probably wait to upgrade their phones to the S23 models if they are looking for faster 5G experience, but the S23 features may outweigh the parity in speeds between models.

South Koreans saw fast 5G speeds on the new Samsung Galaxy S23 models

Home to Samsung, South Korea showed some of the fastest 5G speeds on our list. Every S23 model had a faster median 5G download speed than the corresponding S22 models, but statistical winners remained elusive during the first month after launch, which we expect will probably change upon more adoption in the near future. S22 models recorded median 5G download speeds between 418.57 Mbps and 537.28 Mbps, while the S23 models ranged from 503.99 Mbps and 584.08 Mbps. Upload speeds were similarly impressive — though with no statistically faster median 5G upload speeds than another — with S22 models ranging from 37.76 Mbps to 51.66 Mbps over 5G, and S23 models ranging from 47.51 Mbps to 57.62 Mbps. Median multi-server latency over 5G showed ranges from 65.00 ms to 69.81 ms for the S22 models, and a range of 66.13 ms to 68.15 ms for the S23 models.

Recommendation: If you’re a South Korean Galaxy S22 user, you can probably expect slightly faster speeds if you upgrade to the new S23 models, but an upgrade for the new features, especially for the new S23 Ultra camera, might be more justified.

Thai Samsung Galaxy S22 and S23 users saw faster 5G speeds than the median average during Q4 2022

Speedtest Intelligence shows that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was the only S23 model to achieve faster median 5G speeds than its predecessor in Thailand during the first month after launching. The S23 Ultra outperformed the S22 Ultra 222.21 Mbps to 198.74 Mbps over 5G for download speed and 33.57 Mbps to 30.10 Mbps for upload speed, respectively. The S23 and S23+ were not statistically faster, though the S23+ and S23 had median 5G download speeds of 202.64 Mbps and 229.56 Mbps, respectively. Median 5G multi-server latency showed close parity with the S22 ranging from 31.06 ms to 32.34 ms and the S23 ranging from 30.40 ms to 34.14 ms.

Recommendation: Thai Galaxy S22 Ultra users should feel confident in upgrading your phones to the S23 Ultra, especially for the new features. If you are a S22 and S22+ 5G user, you should absolutely consider upgrading, but might not yet see faster speeds.

Samsung Galaxy S23 results showed potential in the United Kingdom, but you still may want to wait to upgrade

New 5G data from the U.K. reveals that while the new Samsung Galaxy S23 models have higher median download speeds, the S23 models are not statistically faster than the S22 models. The S22 models had median 5G download speeds that ranged from 113.18 Mbps to 129.16 Mbps, and the S23 models ranged from 123.57 Mbps to 137.20 Mbps. 5G download speeds in the U.K. weren’t the slowest we saw among the countries we surveyed, but they were quite close to Poland’s bottom-tier results. The S23 Ultra was one stand-out performer, which had a faster median 5G upload speed than the S22 Ultra at 15.36 Mbps to 13.07 Mbps, though the other models weren’t significantly faster, but came close. Median multi-server latency over 5G was too statistically close to call, with the S22 models between 43.04 ms and 45.09 ms, and the S23 models between 41.77 ms and 46.63 ms.

Recommendation: U.K. Samsung Galaxy S22 users should wait to upgrade their phones to the S23 models unless you’re dying for the S23’s new features. But don’t expect faster results quite yet, especially as the U.K. continues to lag behind other more mature 5G markets around the world.

If you have 5G and a Samsung Galaxy S22 in the United States, don’t hesitate to upgrade to an S23 model

New data from Speedtest Intelligence reveals that during the first month of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series’ availability, the S23 and S23 Ultra outperformed the S22 and S22 Ultra for 5G download speeds, respectively, while the S23+ and S22+ were statistically too close to call. The S23 raced ahead of the S22 177.15 Mbps to 145.91 Mbps, and the S23 Ultra was faster than the S22 Ultra at 187.83 Mbps to 161.87 Mbps. All of the S22 and S23 models outperformed the median 5G download speed in the U.S. during Q4 2022. The Samsung S23 Ultra was the only S23 model to statistically outperform its counterpart for median 5G upload speeds, with an upload speed of 17.56 Mbps to 14.60 Mbps. The S23 and S23+ were too close to call. Looking at median multi-server latency over 5G, the S23 Ultra edged ahead of its S22 Ultra counterpart 50.44 ms to 51.52, while the other S23 didn’t have a statistical leg up.

Recommendation: U.S. Samsung Galaxy S22 users shouldn’t hesitate to upgrade to the S23 models, especially for the new features and hardware — particularly if you want the S23 Ultra’s 200 MP camera. With 5G networks increasingly getting faster, we suspect the S23 models have yet to see their full potential in the U.S., too.

The Speedtest® Android app can help benchmark your device’s 5G performance

After promising launches that have seen the Samsung Galaxy S23 models pull ever-so-slightly ahead in the U.S. and Germany, you can track how the Samsung Galaxy S23 performs on our next release of Ookla Market Reports™. If you recently upgraded your phone, be sure to download the Android Speedtest app to make sure you are getting the speeds you need along with access to video testing. We’ll be back throughout the year with fresh data on new phone launches, so if you’re considering upgrading your phone, be on the lookout for a new Ookla® device report.

Details on the Fastest 5G Mobile Devices (Just in Time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday)

Posted on November 21, 2022November 21, 2022 by Josh Fomon

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just a few days away, so Ookla® wanted to help you navigate those deals with hard data on the fastest 5G popular devices. We used Speedtest Intelligence® to look at 5G performance data in the 10 countries with the highest number of connected mobile devices according to GSMA that also had an established 5G market during Q3 2022. As a reminder, we already looked at the newer models in the Apple iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 earlier this quarter, right after both device models launched.

Our analysis examined the five fastest popular 5G devices in a given country. To be included, a device had to have a market share of greater than or equal to 0.5% of all devices and a minimum sample size of 100 devices in a given market. Each market we examined included only 5G samples from every 5G provider in a given country. That means performance most likely varies network to network and country to country, but this provides a snapshot of what you might typically expect.

It should be noted that some newer device models like the iPhone 14, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, and Google Pixel 7 launched in select markets on different days and may not have been included in our Q3 2022 analysis.

Fastest 5G devices in Brazil

According to Speedtest Intelligence, there was no statistically fastest 5G device in Brazil during Q3 2022, though every device on our list exceeded a median 5G download speed of 300 Mbps. That means each of these devices would make an excellent, fast choice if you can connect to 5G.

The Motorola Moto G 5G Plus had a median 5G download speed of 358.39 Mbps, the Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5G at 355.43 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max at 344.44 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 13 mini at 341.21 Mbps, and the Apple iPhone 13 at 336.04 Mbps. That being said, the new iPhone 14 models and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 were also very fast in our recent launch article.

5 devices vie for fastest 5G in China

Competition for the fastest popular 5G mobile device was very close in China, with no statistically fastest device during Q3 2022. The OnePlus 9 5G had a median 5G download speed of 349.15 Mbps, the Huawei P40 5G was at 344.41 Mbps, the Huawei Mate 30 5G at 344.23 Mbps, the Huawei Mate 40 5G at 332.39 Mbps, and the Huawei Mate 40 Pro 5G at 328.25 Mbps. Every device on this list would make an excellent choice if you are looking for an upgrade.

New iPhones top fastest 5G devices in Germany

German iPhone users have a clear mandate: Upgrade your phone! During Q3 2022, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max had the fastest median 5G download speeds in the country among popular 5G devices at 181.09 Mbps and 177.98 Mbps, respectively. The iPhone 13 Pro (148.87 Mbps) and iPhone 13 Pro Max (148.08 Mbps) followed, then the OnePlus 9 Pro 5G at 140.93 Mbps.

Sony Xperia and Samsung Galaxy 20 among fastest 5G devices in Japan

Japanese 5G consumers saw Sony devices take three out of the top five spots among the fastest popular 5G devices in Q3 2022. While there was no statistical winner, the Sony Xperia 1 II 5G had a median 5G download speed of 224.68 Mbps, the Samsung Galaxy S20 5G was at 189.22 Mbps and the Sony Xperia 1 IV at 184.90 Mbps. Any one of these three devices would make an excellent choice for an upgrade.

Many options for fastest 5G devices in the Philippines

Consumers in the Philippines have a handful of top 5G devices they can upgrade to, with no statistical winner for fastest 5G device during Q3 2022. The Samsung Galaxy A53 had a median 5G download speed at 199.90 Mbps, the Huawei Nova 7 5G was at 192.80 Mbps, the Huawei Nov 7 SE 5G at 188.32 Mbps, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G at 185.85 Mbps, and the Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G at 183.54 Mbps.

Tight competition for fastest 5G devices in South Africa

Speedtest Intelligence shows competition for the fastest popular 5G was incredibly tight in South Africa, with no statistically fastest 5G device during Q3 2022. The Samsung Galaxy S22+ had a median 5G download speed of 228.31 Mbps during Q3 2022, the Apple iPhone 13 mini was at 226.44 Mbps, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra at 218.26 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max at 212.94 Mbps, and the Apple iPhone 13 Pro at 211.73 Mbps.

Consumers looking to upgrade their phone have some great options here, and we suspect the new Apple and Samsung models are incredibly competitive with these devices.

Dead heat on fastest 5G devices in Thailand

Consumers in Thailand have many options when considering an upgrade, with no statistical winner among the top five fastest 5G devices. The Apple iPhone 14 Pro had a median 5G download speed of 236.35 Mbps, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra was at 233.15 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max at 232.80 Mbps, the Xiaomi Redmi K40 5G at 229.30 Mbps, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G at 228.29 Mbps.

iPhone dominates fastest 5G devices in the United Kingdom

U.K. Apple users should celebrate, with iPhone models taking the top five spots for the U.K.’s fastest 5G devices. While there was no statistically significant fastest device, the new iPhone 14 Pro Max had a median 5G download speed of 171.24 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro Max was at 165.49 Mbps, the iPhone 14 Pro at 158.24 Mbps, the iPhone 13 mini at 157.42 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 Pro at 154.50 Mbps.

Fastest 5G devices in the United States are new iPhones

Speedtest Intelligence reveals the new Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro were the fastest popular 5G devices in the U.S. with a median 5G download speed of 177.21 Mbps and 175.08 Mbps, respectively, during Q3 2022. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 was a close third at 162.50 Mbps, while the Galaxy S21+ 5G and Galaxy S22 Ultra rounded out the top five at 140.06 Mbps and 137.42 Mbps, respectively. Ookla data shows there’s a pretty strong case you should consider upgrading your Apple or Samsung device in the U.S., which we highly recommend.

Older iPhones keeping up with fastest 5G devices in Vietnam

5G consumers in Vietnam were in the enviable position of receiving very fast 5G speeds during Q3 2022. While there was no statistical winner for fastest 5G device, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra had a median 5G download of 286.77 Mbps, the Apple iPhone 12 5G was at 278.32 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro at 270.99 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 266.99 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 at 259.35 Mbps. We suspect users who upgrade to the newest Apple and Samsung models will reap the rewards of even faster speeds.

Ookla will continue evaluating device performance

The launch of the new iPhone 14 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 models has already shown that new devices are speeding ahead and we’ll be monitoring results for the rest of the year. If you end up getting a great Black Friday deal to upgrade your phone, be sure to download the iOS or Android Speedtest® app to make sure your mobile operator is delivering the speeds you need.

Find Out if 5G is Worth the Upgrade: A Multi-Country Analysis

Posted on December 14, 2021October 26, 2022 by Isla McKetta

The holidays are nearly here and with them the desire to treat yourself or a loved one to an upgraded phone, just because. The first question you’re likely to ask yourself as you browse new models is “To 5G or not to 5G?” Once you check the Ookla 5G Map^™ to see if your operator has deployed 5G in your area, you’ll probably want to know if the 5G speeds are worth the extra cost. We’ve analyzed Speedtest Intelligence® data from the most popular Android and iPhone devices around the world during Q3 2021 to help you see if it’s worth the upgrade. Click a country from the list to jump down to the related analysis.

Australia | Bahrain | Canada | China

France | Japan | Saudi Arabia | South Africa

South Korea | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom | United States

Our analysis includes data on the five 4G Android devices in each country with the largest number of results during Q3 2021 as well as the five most popular 5G-capable Android devices. We have also compared the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 11. Even the fastest device can only perform at the level of the network it’s on. For that reason, speeds for the same device vary widely from country to country in the data below. Remember that speeds can also vary within a country and the performance you see will depend on the infrastructure in your area.

Australia

5G Samsung devices more than twice as fast as most popular 4G devices in Australia

Although only a year separates the release of the Samsung Galaxy S10 series and the S20 series devices, the latter were definitely faster in Australia during Q3 2021. Even the slowest 5G-capable device on this list, the Galaxy S20+ 5G was much faster than the fastest 4G phone, the Galaxy S10+.

iPhone 13 wallops iPhone 11 for speed in Australia

Australians who recently upgraded their iPhone 11 for an iPhone 13 would have seen a more than 4X increase in median download speed during Q3 2021. If speed is your number one concern, this upgrade is necessary.

Bahrain

5G Samsung variants live up to the hype in Bahrain

Fewer 5G-capable phones made our list in Bahrain during Q3 2021 due to sample counts, but those that did roundly outperformed the most popular 4G devices. The median download speed of 5G-capable devices on this list was more than two times faster than the median for 4G devices on this list.

iPhone 12 85% faster than iPhone 11 in Bahrain

There weren’t sufficient samples to analyze performance of the brand new iPhone 13 in Bahrain during Q3 2021, but median download speed on the iPhone 12 was 85.0% faster than that on the iPhone 11.

Canada

Not all 5G Android devices offer a massive improvement in Canada

Q3 2021 data from Canada shows that 5G isn’t the only way to get a fast connection. While the fastest 5G-capable device among the top five most popular (the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G) offered very fast median download speeds, two 4G devices (the Note10+ and the S10+) were nearly as fast as the slowest 5G-capable device on this list (the S20 Fan Edition 5G). To upgrade or not is definitely a question here of which device you are upgrading from and which you plan to upgrade to.

iPhone 13 more than three times as fast as the iPhone 11 in Canada

Canadians looking for fast mobile performance on Apple devices will enjoy an upgrade to the iPhone 13 whose median download speed in Q3 2021 was more than three times as fast as that on the iPhone 11.

China

5G offers major advantages on Android in China

There is no question as to whether consumers with one of the five most popular 4G Android devices would see faster speeds with one of the five most popular 5G Android devices. The 4G devices on this list saw median download speeds in the 22.00 to 34.00 Mbps range during Q3 2021 while the 5G-capable devices showed median download speeds between 155.87 Mbps (Xiaomi Mi 10 5G) and 280.22 Mbps (Huawei Mate 40 Pro 5G).

iPhone 13 more than ten times faster than iPhone 11 in China

China was home to the largest performance increase when comparing the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 13. Median download speed on the iPhone 13 was more than ten times faster during Q3 2021 than on the iPhone 11. Some of this difference may reflect market conditions where users in more rural areas have older phones and poorer infrastructure, but it’s still an impressive difference.

France

French 5G offers a decent speed boost on Android

The most popular 4G devices in France showed median download speeds between 37.67 Mbps (Samsung Galaxy S8) and 51.36 Mbps (S20 Fan Edition) during Q3 2021. These were easily topped by the 5G-capable devices which showed median download speeds of 73.73 Mbps (Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro 5G) to 92.10 Mbps (Xiaomi Mi 11 5G).

iPhone 13 more than three times faster than iPhone 11 in France

French consumers who upgraded from the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 13 during Q3 2021 would have tripled their median download speed potential on the 5G-capable iPhone 13.

Japan

Android 5G devices are faster in Japan, but not always fast

The most popular 4G devices in Japan during Q3 2021 were much slower than the most popular 5G-capable devices. Speedtest Intelligence showed median download speeds on 4G devices ranging from 19.75 Mbps (Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S) to 26.57 Mbps (Oppo Reno A). Even the slowest 5G-capable device on this list, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G at 43.63 Mbps, was 56% faster than the fastest 4G devices. However, the fastest 5G-capable device on this list, the Sony Xperia 1 II 5G, was twice as fast as that at 94.85 Mbps.

iPhone 13 more than twice as fast as iPhone 11 in Japan

In Japan, the median download speed of the iPhone 13 was more than twice as fast as that over the iPhone 11 during Q3 2021. This was one of the smallest differences in performance between the iPhone 11 and 13 that we saw in our analysis.

Saudi Arabia

5G Android devices are much faster than 4G in Saudi Arabia

Median download speeds on the most popular 5G-capable devices were fast in Saudi Arabia compared to most other markets. 5G-capable speeds ranged from 174.43 Mbps for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G to 261.21 Mbps for the S21 Ultra 5G. 5G is definitely worth the upgrade in Saudi Arabia.

iPhone 13 was more than five times faster than the iPhone 11 in Saudi Arabia

Not only did Saudi Arabia show the second fastest median download speed over iPhone 13 during Q3 2021, the iPhone 13 was also more than five times faster than the iPhone 11.

South Africa

5G shows a small improvement over 4G on Android in South Africa

The most popular 4G devices in South Africa showed a wide range of median download speeds during Q3 2021, from 18.00 Mbps (Huawei P20 Lite) to 40.69 Mbps (Samsung Galaxy Note10+). South Africa’s median download speeds on the most popular 5G devices were among the lowest we saw, from 43.09 Mbps on the Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G to 67.09 Mbps on the S21 Ultra 5G.

iPhone 12 was almost twice as fast as the iPhone 11 in South Africa

There weren’t sufficient samples in South Africa to analyze the iPhone 13, so we compared the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 11. The median download speed on the iPhone 12 was almost twice as fast as that on the iPhone 11 during Q3 2021.

South Korea

4G Android devices in South Korea are fast, 5G even faster

The median download speeds we saw on the most popular 4G devices in South Korea during Q3 2021 rivaled the 5G speeds in South Africa with speeds ranging from 53.74 Mbps on the Samsung Galaxy Note8 to 60.41 Mbps on the S9+. However, median performance on 5G-capable devices was even faster. There was a wide variety in speeds among the most popular 5G-capable with the S10 5G showing a median download speed of 102.61 Mbps and the S21 Ultra 5G coming in at 221.18 Mbps. 5G is worth the upgrade in South Korea and consumers have a variety of high-performing devices to choose from.

iPhone 12 more than three times faster than iPhone 11 in South Korea

South Korea did not have enough samples from the new iPhone 13, so we compared the iPhone 12 to the iPhone 11. Not only was the iPhone 12 more than three times faster for median download speed than the iPhone 11 during Q3 2021, South Korea’s iPhone 12 download speed beat iPhone 13 download speed in five of the countries we analyzed: Canada, France, Japan, U.K. and the U.S.

United Arab Emirates

U.A.E. had the fastest speeds on Android 5G devices

While the median download speeds across 4G devices in the U.A.E. during Q3 2021 handily beat those of all the other countries in this analysis, the country’s 5G download speeds were even faster. We can see from this data that some of the 4G devices can perform much better when on a faster network. Even the slowest 4G device on this list, the Huawei P30 Pro, had a median download speed of 68.26 Mbps in U.A.E. compared to 30.20 Mbps in the U.K. on the same device.

A similar story can be told for 5G devices where the U.A.E. was competing only with Saudi Arabia and South Korea for the fastest median performance on devices listed during Q3 2021. The Samsung Galaxy S21 5G showed a median download speed of 285.39 Mbps in the U.A.E. compared to 215.10 Mbps in South Korea while the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G showed a median download speed of 269.09 Mbps in the U.A.E. and 261.21 Mbps in Saudi Arabia.

iPhone 13 more than four times faster than iPhone 11 in U.A.E.

Not only did the U.A.E. have the fastest median download speed over iPhone 13 that we saw in this analysis, the 485.59 Mbps download speed was faster than any phone in any country that we analyzed in Q3 2021. The iPhone 13 capitalized on fast 5G in the U.A.E. to have a median download speed that was more than four times faster than that of the iPhone 11.

United Kingdom

5G represents a solid improvement over 4G on Android devices in the U.K.

Consumers upgrading from one of the most popular 4G devices in the United Kingdom to one of the most popular 5G-capable devices would have seen a 2-3X increase in median download speed during Q3 2021. This is in part because the 4G devices on this list were slower in the U.K. than elsewhere in the world during Q3 2021 as 4G speeds have stagnated in the U.K. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S8 showed a median download speed of 24.20 Mbps in the U.K., 37.67 Mbps in France and 46.31 Mbps in Canada. All five of the 5G-capable devices that we analyzed in both the U.S. and the U.K. were faster in the U.K. during Q3 2021.

iPhone 13 more than five times faster than the iPhone 11 in the U.K.

Our analysis of Speedtest Intelligence data from Q3 2021 showed that the iPhone 13 had a median download speed that was more than five times faster than that on the iPhone 11. This makes the iPhone 13 very much worth the upgrade if speed is your main concern.

United States

5G Android devices were twice as fast as 4G in the U.S.

The most popular 4G devices in the U.S. were about half as fast for median download speed as the most popular 5G-capable devices during Q3 2021. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G showed the highest median download speed among these devices at 69.78 Mbps, compared to the fastest 4G device surveyed, the Note10+ at 35.98 Mbps. That said, 5G-capable devices in the U.S. underperformed when compared to other countries, except Japan and South Africa.

iPhone 13 nearly three times as fast as the iPhone 11 in the U.S.

Data from Speedtest Intelligence reveals that median download speed on the iPhone 13 was nearly three times as fast as that on the iPhone 11 in the U.S. during Q3 2021.

Our analysis shows that increased speed is one of the benefits of upgrading your 4G phone to a 5G-capable one, regardless of where you live but not all countries see the same speed increases. Customers in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E, China and South Korea will see especially good performance if upgrading an Android phone. The U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, China and Australia have especially good speeds on the iPhone 13. Whatever choice you make for your next phone, take a Speedtest® on
Android or iOS to make sure your mobile operator is delivering the speeds you want to see.

Early Testing Shows How Fast the New iPhone 14 and Galaxy Z Fold4 Are (Spoiler: They’re Fast)

Posted on October 26, 2022October 26, 2022 by Josh Fomon

Consumers across the world have been waiting for the recent launches of new Apple iPhone 14 devices and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4. With new chipsets and technologies, Ookla® was curious to see how much faster these devices were performing against previous models, so we used Speedtest Intelligence® to look at data from select countries during the first few weeks after launch. We compared how the iPhone 14 devices are performing against their iPhone 13 counterparts over 5G and how the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is performing against the Galaxy Z Fold3 over 5G.

Note that device data differs across markets due to a variety of factors, including: 5G investments by governments and mobile operators, different 5G spectrum allocations by operator, 5G Availability, the number of 5G deployments, and other differences, including mobile 5G plans. Furthermore, it should be noted that the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models launched in select markets on different days than the iPhone 14, which is why the date ranges differ slightly in each market in our analysis.

Key takeaways:

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 outperformed the Galaxy Z Fold3 in every country we surveyed except Australia, and performed about the same as the Fold3 in South Korea and Taiwan.
The new Apple iPhone 14 models outperformed their iPhone 13 counterparts in every country.

Key improvements to the new Galaxy Z Fold4 and iPhone 14

Consumers almost always want to know if the newest technology is worth the upgrade when they’re investing in a costly new phone. Each of these devices has various upgrades, but when it comes to performance, here’s a quick list of what’s different between the new and older models.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold3

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset as well as the Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 5G modem whereas the Galaxy Z Fold3 has the older Snapdragon 888 5G chipset.
The Fold4 has an upgraded Octa-core (1×3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) and the Fold3 has an Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3×2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A55).

Apple iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have Apple A16 CPU chipsets, which we expect to be faster than the iPhone 13s, whereas the iPhone 14 has the Apple A15 CPU chipset.
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 chipset for 5G, which also supports the 2.4 GHz n53 band for satellite, while the iPhone 14 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon X60 for 5G, which the iPhone 13 Pro Max and 13 Pro also use.
The Apple iPhone 13 models have 4 GB of memory, whereas the newer iPhone 14 models have 6 GB of memory.

Australia

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Speedtest Intelligence shows the Galaxy Z Fold4 was not statistically faster than the Fold3 in Australia. The Galaxy Z Fold3 had a median 5G download speed at 338.58 Mbps and the Fold4 at 309.40 Mbps. The median upload speed was roughly the same, with the Fold4 achieving 23.71 Mbps and the Fold3 at 22.72 Mbps.

Recommendation: Australian Galaxy Z Fold3 users may want to wait to upgrade their phone until speeds improve, unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

Our data shows every new iPhone 14 model offering faster median download speeds than their iPhone 13 counterparts in Australia. The iPhone 14 Pro Max had the fastest median 5G download speed at 347.67 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 14 Pro (327.09 Mbps). Even the iPhone 14 base model was comparable to the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 303.44 Mbps to 306.92 Mbps, as well as the iPhone 13 Pro (299.88 Mbps). The iPhone 13 base model “lagged” behind at a fast 265.48 Mbps.

Upload speeds were generally similar, with the iPhone 14 models ranging slightly faster from 23.92 Mbps to 24.50 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 models ranging from 17.84 Mbps to 20.24 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in Australia who want faster speeds should consider upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model.

Brazil

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

During the first month of the Galaxy Z Fold4’s launch, Brazilian 5G consumers who upgraded saw tremendous improvements over the Galaxy Z Fold3. The Fold4 dramatically outpaced the Fold3 with a median download of 483.26 Mbps and median upload of 46.20 Mbps to the Fold3’s 173.09 Mbps download and 25.70 Mbps upload.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in Brazil should upgrade their phone to the Galaxy Z Fold4 if they have access to 5G.

Apple iPhone

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that every iPhone 14 model performed much faster than their iPhone 13 counterparts on 5G in Brazil. The iPhone 14 Pro Max raced ahead at 493.31 Mbps, then the iPhone 14 Pro (429.82 Mbps), and iPhone 14 (350.69 Mbps). The iPhone 13 (220.14 Mbps), iPhone 13 Pro Max (215.27 Mbps), and iPhone 13 Pro (200.35 Mbps) trailed behind.

Upload speeds were faster on the iPhone 14 models, ranging from 32.41 Mbps to 37.39 Mbps, whereas the iPhone 13 models ranged from 25.52 Mbps to 26.04 Mbps.

Recommendation: Brazilian iPhone 13 users should absolutely consider an upgrade to the new iPhone.

Canada

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Canadian consumers saw a moderate increase in 5G download speed if they upgraded their phone from the Galaxy Z Fold3 to the Fold4, with the Fold4 achieving a median download speed of 202.23 Mbps to the Fold3’s 165.36 Mbps. Upload speed remained relatively flat between the two models with the Fold4 achieving 27.73 Mbps and the Fold3 26.77 Mbps.

Recommendation: Canadian Galaxy Z Fold3 users should feel confident that upgrading their phone to the Fold4 will give them a faster 5G experience.

Apple iPhone

The new iPhone 14 models raced ahead of their iPhone 13 counterparts in Canada. The iPhone 14 Pro Max achieved a median 5G download speed of 198.12 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 14 Pro (193.53 Mbps), and then iPhone 14 (189.85 Mbps). The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest iPhone 13 model at 149.78 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro (145.60 Mbps), and iPhone 13 (133.64 Mbps).

The iPhone 14 models were also faster for median upload speed ranging from 25.78 Mbps to 28.01 Mbps, whereas the iPhone 13 models ranged from 17.80 Mbps to 21.03 Mbps.

Recommendation: Canadian iPhone 13 users should beeline straight to their mobile operator to upgrade to a new iPhone 14 model.

France

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Speedtest Intelligence revealed that French consumers saw a jump in speeds over the past month if they upgraded from the Galaxy Z Fold3 to the new Fold4, which achieved a median download speed of 290.83 Mbps over 5G. The Fold3 was far behind with a median download speed at 217.18 Mbps. 5G upload speeds were similar with the Fold4 at 15.81 Mbps and the Fold3 at 14.58 Mbps.

Recommendation: French Galaxy Z Fold3 users shouldn’t hesitate to immediately upgrade to the Fold4 for a faster 5G experience.

Apple iPhone

The iPhone 14 models were all faster than their iPhone 13 counterparts in France. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro models had the fastest median 5G download speeds at 318.97 Mbps and 297.57 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 followed at 259.62 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest iPhone 13 model at 259.73 Mbps, with the iPhone 13 Pro (247.50 Mbps) and iPhone 13 (224.40 Mbps) following.

Upload speeds remained relatively similar, with all of the iPhone 14 models ranging between 16.02 Mbps to 19.44 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 models ranging from 15.01 Mbps to 16.43 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in France should absolutely consider upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds and new features.

Saudi Arabia

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Saudi consumers who upgraded to the Galaxy Z Fold4 might not have noticed a marked improvement on their already blazing fast 5G speeds, with the Fold4 achieving a median 5G download speed of 435.10 Mbps to the Fold3’s 403.11 Mbps. Even on upload, the speeds were roughly the same at 38.78 Mbps and 35.20 Mbps for the Fold4 and Fold3, respectively.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in Saudi Arabia don’t really need to upgrade your phones for great speeds. Base your decision on whether you want the other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

The launch of the new iPhone 14 models showed a similar story in Saudi Arabia as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold. The new iPhone 14 models were all faster than their iPhone 13 counterparts, but all of the iPhones we looked at were very fast on 5G. The new iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro models had the fastest download speeds at 432.96 Mbps and 429.61 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 base model was next at 396.18 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro followed at 392.44 Mbps and 391.14 Mbps, respectively, while the base iPhone 13 model was next at 385.68 Mbps.

Upload speeds were faster on the iPhone 14 models, which ranged from a median speed of 34.90 Mbps to 35.85 Mbps, while the iPhone 13 models ranged from 30.14 Mbps to 31.62 Mbps.

Recommendation: Saudi iPhone 13 users should consider upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds and new features, but most iPhone 13 users still experience very fast speeds.

Singapore

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Consumers in Singapore saw a noticeable increase in median 5G download speeds by upgrading to the Galaxy Z Fold4 during the first month after its launch. The Fold4 outpaced the Fold3 346.79 Mbps to 293.20 Mbps for median 5G download speed. Upload speeds remained almost exactly the same with the Fold4 reaching a 5G median download speed at 33.83 Mbps to the Fold3’s 33.19 Mbps.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in Singapore should rush to see how they can upgrade their phone to the Fold4 for faster speeds and new features.

Apple iPhone

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that in Singapore the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models had much faster median 5G download speeds than their already fast iPhone 13 counterparts. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models achieved median download speeds of 377.78 Mbps and 397.53 Mbps, respectively. However, iPhone 13 model users are still experiencing fast speeds. The iPhone 13 Pro Max achieved 273.14 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro at 249.54 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 at 247.81 Mbps. The iPhone 14 base model didn’t record enough samples to be included in our survey for Singapore.

Speedtest Intelligence also showed that upload speeds over 5G didn’t vary too significantly, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models achieving 37.60 Mbps and 36.86 Mbps, respectively, and the iPhone 13 models ranging from 32.23 Mbps to 33.74 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in Singapore won’t regret upgrading their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds, but most iPhone 13 users already experience fast speeds.

South Korea

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Home to Samsung’s headquarters, South Korea has some of the fastest 5G speeds in the world. However, consumers who upgraded from the Fold3 to the Fold4 haven’t yet seen a noticeable improvement upon their already super fast internet experience. The Galaxy Z Fold4 reached a similar median 5G download speed as the Fold3 at 520.29 Mbps to 513.39 Mbps, respectively. However, the Fold4 was just faster than the Fold3 for upload speed at 51.96 Mbps to 42.65 Mbps.

Recommendation: It’s hard to say “wait to upgrade” to South Korean Galaxy Z Fold3 users, but with such ridiculously fast speeds on the Fold3 that are comparable to the Fold4, users should consider waiting — unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

We’re jealous of iPhone users in South Korea, who experienced lightning fast 5G download speeds on every model of iPhone we surveyed, which ranged from 570.01 Mbps to 663.43 Mbps. While we didn’t find a statistically significant fastest median 5G download speed, the iPhone 14 Pro had a median download speed of 663.43 Mbps, the iPhone 14 Pro Max at 635.23 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro Max at 602.17 Mbps, the iPhone 13 Pro at 596.18 Mbps, and the iPhone 13 at 570.01 Mbps. The base model of the iPhone 14 didn’t have enough samples to be included.

Median 5G upload speeds for the iPhone 14 models were also very fast, ranging from 37.14 Mbps to 62.46 Mbps. However, the iPhone 13 models still had very fast upload speeds, which ranged from 41.96 Mbps to 43.45 Mbps.

Recommendation: South Korean iPhone 13 users who want to upgrade their phone to a new iPhone 14 model should do so for the new features — 5G speeds are extremely fast no matter what model you have.

Switzerland

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Speedtest Intelligence shows that Swiss Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 users only saw a moderate increase in median 5G download speed when upgrading from the Fold3, with the Fold4 achieving a median download speed of 232.70 Mbps to the Fold3’s 202.69 Mbps. The Fold4 was faster than the Fold3 for median upload speed at 49.31 Mbps to 39.76 Mbps during the same time period.

Recommendation: Swiss Galaxy Z Fold3 users have a tough decision: Speeds aren’t much faster yet for the new model, so unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers, you may want to wait.

Apple iPhone

iPhone consumers in Switzerland waiting to see how the new iPhone 14 performs can rest easy. The new iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models are faster than their iPhone 13 predecessors, achieving median 5G download speeds at 242.41 Mbps and 214.62 Mbps, respectively. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro models only achieved 192.70 Mbps and 184.53 Mbps, respectively, during the same time period. While there weren’t enough samples to evaluate the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 had a median 5G download speed at 158.33 Mbps.

The iPhone Pro Max and Pro had faster upload speeds than their iPhone 13 counterparts at 41.99 Mbps and 43.84 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro models achieved 36.11 Mbps and 35.05 Mbps, respectively.

Recommendation: iPhone 13 users in Switzerland who want faster speeds shouldn’t hesitate to upgrade their phone to a new iPhone 14 model and new features.

Taiwan

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Taiwanese consumers experienced roughly the same median 5G download speed for the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Fold3 at 321.12 Mbps and 320.78 Mbps, respectively. If you’re concerned about upload speed, the Fold4 does pull ahead of the Fold3 on 5G, 47.44 Mbps to 37.32 Mbps.

Recommendation: We noticed operator speed makes a large difference to device performance in Taiwan, so check our Ookla Market Report™ to see what kind of speeds you should expect from your operator. If your operator makes the cut, you should consider upgrading your phone. Other Galaxy Z Fold3 users may want to wait to upgrade their phone until speeds improve, unless you really want other new features the Fold4 offers.

Apple iPhone

Speedtest Intelligence reveals that iPhone 14 models in Taiwan were much faster than iPhone 13 models, which were already very fast. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and 14 Pro had the fastest median 5G download speed at 373.25 Mbps and 366.28 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 followed at 329.46 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max was the fastest iPhone 13 model at 319.53 Mbps, followed by the iPhone 13 Pro (298.37 Mbps) and iPhone 13 (272.79 Mbps).

Download speeds for the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro were fast at 41.30 Mbps and 42.39 Mbps, respectively.The iPhone 14 (33.91 Mbps) was more on par with the iPhone 13 Pro Max (34.84 Mbps) and iPhone 13 Pro (34.05 Mbps). The iPhone 13 trailed behind at 29.61 Mbps.

Recommendation: Most iPhone 13 users in Taiwan aren’t lacking for 5G speeds, but iPhone 13 users should upgrade their phone to a new iPhone 14 model for faster speeds and new features.

United States

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

According to Speedtest Intelligence, the Fold4 outperformed the Fold3 in the U.S. with a median 5G download speed of 165.63 Mbps to 124.12 Mbps. Upload speeds were roughly the same with the Fold4 at 15.58 Mbps and the Fold3 at 15.96 Mbps.

Recommendation: Galaxy Z Fold3 users in the U.S. should embrace the Fold4 with open arms. Not only will you experience new features, you’ll continue to see faster speeds, especially as providers expand in 5G investments across the country.

Apple iPhone

Even the base model of the iPhone 14 substantially outperformed every iPhone 13 model in the U.S. The iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models led the way for fastest median 5G download speed at 177.92 Mbps and 174.84 Mbps, respectively, while the iPhone 14 was at 150.08 Mbps. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and Pro models followed behind at 121.19 Mbps and 121.08 Mbps, respectively, and the iPhone 13 trailed at 109.48 Mbps.

Upload speeds were relatively similar, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and Pro models reaching median 5G upload speeds of 19.22 Mbps and 18.37 Mbps, respectively. The iPhone 14 followed at 15.91 Mbps. The iPhone 13 models weren’t much further behind, ranging from 13.20 Mbps to 15.39 Mbps.

Recommendation: iPhone fans in the U.S. who are waiting to see how the iPhone 14 performs should feel confident in taking the plunge to upgrade their phones.

Ookla will continue monitoring how devices are performing

After blazing fast launches which already saw the iPhone 14 models race ahead in the U.S. and other markets on the Ookla Market Reports™, we’ll eagerly be watching results for the rest of the year. If you recently upgraded your phone, be sure to download the iOS or Android Speedtest® app to make sure you are getting the speeds you need along with up to 2 GB of free VPN browsing every month and access to video testing.

A Global Look at Mobile Modem Market Share and Device Performance

Posted on December 18, 2019July 11, 2022 by Isla McKetta

Analysts discuss the latest devices all the time, but rarely is enough attention paid to the phone’s real powerhouse — the modem. We were interested to see how market share for modem manufacturers divides up on a global level, so we investigated device data from Speedtest Intelligence^TM during Q3 2019. We also looked at how popular phones performed in different markets, including a look at 5G phones in 5G countries.

Global modem market share

Speedtest data showed Qualcomm was the most common modem manufacturer in 133 countries during Q3 2019 — the highest market share was in Hong Kong with 73.6% of the devices analyzed showing Qualcomm modems. Qualcomm’s slimmest majority was in Botswana with 25.6% of devices analyzed showing Qualcomm modems.

This is not surprising as Qualcomm chipsets power many flagship devices sold around the world. In the U.S., virtually all Android OEMs use Qualcomm-powered chipsets. The latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform with Snapdragon X24 integrated LTE modem (up to 2Gbps) powers popular devices from Samsung, LG and OnePlus. It’s worth noting that Qualcomm has multi-year licensing deals with multiple OEMs based in China, namely Vivo, OPPO, Lenovo, Xiaomi and OnePlus, providing their complete modem-to-antenna solutions for optimal RF performance. This includes valuable RF Front End (RFFE) components such as power amplifiers, envelope trackers, RF switches, filters and antenna tuners.

These OEMs also have access to Qualcomm’s first and second generation 5G modems. As of right now, Qualcomm is also the only chipset manufacturer providing modem-to-antenna solutions for 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) deployments, providing all-in-one mmWave antenna modules that contain radio transceiver, RFFE and phased array antenna.

Intel was the most common modem manufacturer in 32 counties during Q3 2019. The highest percentage of devices with Intel modems was seen in Greenland at 55.6%. Intel’s slimmest majority was in South Africa with 28.6% of devices analyzed showing Intel modems. Intel’s main customer in the smartphone space is Apple. Starting in 2016, Apple began powering some iPhone devices with Intel’s flagship LTE chipsets, and since 2018, all iPhones have Intel’s cellular chipsets.

Samsung was the most common modem manufacturer in 16 countries during Q3 2019. South Korea had the highest percentage of devices with Samsung modems at 53.8%. Samsung’s slimmest majority was in Mozambique with 29.1% of devices analyzed powered by Samsung modems. Samsung’s Exynos LTE modem is seen in variants of Samsung’s Galaxy S and Note devices. Except in the Americas and China, most of Samsung’s flagship S10 and Note 10 devices around the world are powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 982x SoC (system on a chip), with an integrated LTE Category 20 modem capable of download speeds of up to 2 Gbps.

Speedtest data showed HiSilicon as the most common modem manufacturer in two countries during Q3 2019. In Costa Rica, 32.4% of devices analyzed showed HiSilicon modems, and in Namibia that number was 27.6%. HiSilicon is a semiconductor company based in Shenzhen and fully owned by Huawei. Huawei integrates its own flagship modem into its flagship P and Mate series devices. These devices have a large user base in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Device performance is affected by market factors

A phone’s performance is always going to depend on the conditions within its specific market. Factors affecting network performance can include: geography, cell site and population density, the amount of wireless spectrum deployed and the overall capabilities of user equipment seeded to market. Multiple factors can impact the performance of a device, including: varying degrees of RF transparency in the materials used for device chassis, variations in RF front-end and antenna design complexity and whether the baseband processor is more or less capable of handling network tasks. We used Speedtest data to analyze how three popular phones — the Apple iPhone Xs, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S10 — performed in specific markets around the world during Q3 2019. We excluded data from devices with fewer than 100 samples in a market during the period.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 was the fastest of these three devices in all but five markets during Q3 2019. However, the mean download speed on the Galaxy S10 varied between 18.06 Mbps in India and 95.91 Mbps in Canada. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro showed the fastest mean download speed of these three devices in France and the U.K. during Q3 2019 and often placed second in the remaining markets on the list. Mean download speed on the Mate 20 Pro during Q3 2019 ranged from 14.57 Mbps in India to 93.66 Mbps in Canada.

Apple’s iPhone Xs was at a slight disadvantage in this comparison, as it came out in 2018 where the other devices debuted in 2019. Because the iPhone 11 was not fully seeded to markets in Q3 2019, we considered its predecessor, the iPhone Xs, in this analysis. The iPhone Xs showed the fastest mean download speed in Germany, Japan and Nigeria during Q3 2019. Mean download speeds on the iPhone Xs varied from 15.92 Mbps in India to 71.72 Mbps in Canada.

Device performance in 5G markets

5G currently offers the pinnacle of mobile performance. We looked at 5G-capable devices in markets where 5G exists to see how download speeds compare. These results include Speedtest results on all technologies, not just 5G, which means averages also reflect consumers using 5G phones with a 4G connection.

Both the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G showed mean download speeds in excess of 200 Mbps in some markets during Q3 2019. However, there’s clearly some difference in which devices are supported by which operators, as not all operators in 5G markets are offering 5G equally (if at all). Related, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G models sold in the U.S. and China are powered by Qualcomm’s first-generation Snapdragon X50 5G modem, while other 5G markets receive the variant powered by Samsung’s in-house Exynos 5100 5G modem.

Mobile operators continue to incentivize consumers to upgrade to newer and more capable devices to ensure a more efficient use of spectrum assets for network operators. This leads to an improved utilization of shared resources, faster overall speeds and better quality of experience.

We’re looking forward to updating these analyses as more markets adopt 5G and as newer and even faster phones are released. For more information about how our device data can help you, contact us.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 in the Wild: Analyzing 5G Mobile Performance in U.S. Cities

Posted on August 14, 2019July 11, 2022 by Brian Turley

Most consumers are unaware how vital a modem is to a smartphone’s performance. From HD and 4K video streaming to augmented reality and cloud computing on-the-go — a fast modem makes all the difference in day-to-day user experience. Today we’re taking a closer look at the real-world performance of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 modem to find out how much faster 5G is than LTE, what 5G speeds look like in specific cities and where 5G upload speeds are outpacing expectations.

The Snapdragon X50 in the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and LG V50 ThinQ 5G

Previously, we explored how the Snapdragon X24 integrated LTE modem helps the Samsung Galaxy S10 top the charts for speed. The Snapdragon X50 modem allows users to take advantage of the increased speed and bandwidth of 5G, adding support for up to 800 MHz of bandwidth (eight carriers) on the downlink and uplink in the FR2 and 100 MHz in the FR1 TDD (time division duplex). In the Galaxy S10 5G, the modem is paired with three QTM052 modules containing 5G NR transceivers, all of the RF front-end components and a phased antenna array supporting the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range. The LG V50 ThinQ device manages to pack a similar configuration into an even smaller footprint.

Designing mmWave handsets poses a significant technological challenge and, to the best of our knowledge, only the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) leveraging Qualcomm’s complete modem-to-antenna solution have successfully been able to bring their designs to market.

How much faster is 5G than LTE?

We examined Speedtest Intelligence^TM data from July 2019 to understand the performance delta between when users have a 5G NR connection and when they can only connect to baseline LTE. To keep a level playing field in the analysis, we only looked at results from the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and the LG V50 ThinQ 5G, which both use the Snapdragon X50. Because AT&T had not yet launched 5G for consumers in July 2019 and T-Mobile started offering 5G in late June, we’ve only included results from Sprint and Verizon in cities where they have 5G available.

**Comparing 5G and LTE Download Speeds in the U.S.**
Speedtest Data | July 2019
Operator	5G (Mbps)	LTE (Mbps)	% Difference in 5G vs. LTE	Maximum on 5G (Mbps)
Sprint	236.09	79.25	197.9%	724.33
Verizon Wireless	870.34	102.23	751.4%	2353.44

Sprint, being the only U.S. operator offering 5G service in the sub-6 GHz (2.5 GHz TDD) frequency range, has the potential to deliver enhanced 5G coverage and capacity with the addition of 40-60 MHz of bandwidth. Speedtest Intelligence shows that tests initiated on Sprint’s 5G connection deliver a nearly 3X improvement in download speeds over its speeds on LTE. The network performance could improve even further with an increased utilization of higher-order MIMO (5G and LTE), a higher contribution of the LTE layer during EN-DC (dual connectivity) and an improved backhaul.

Verizon Wireless’s network currently relies on mmWave in the 28 GHz band. The limited propagation of this frequency band makes it suitable for dense urban deployments, and vast swaths of spectrum (400 MHz) deliver breathtaking speeds on mobile devices. On average, Verizon’s customers with 5G-capable devices were seeing more than 8X improvement in download speeds in 5G covered areas, and we’ve noted Speedtest results with peak speeds in excess of 2 Gbps on the Verizon Wireless network.

Measuring 5G with Speedtest

It’s important to note that Speedtest is uniquely positioned to measure 5G and other gigabit-and-beyond speeds. Speedtest uses a client and server testing engine capable of measuring high-speed connections (up to 10 Gbps) that dynamically scales the number of connections to the server in order to saturate and accurately measure the client-side connection. This allows us to measure the full extent of real-world performance and overcome the effects of network bottlenecks such as TCP slow start. In addition, Ookla has partnered with operators and device manufacturers all over the world to implement accurate in-app 5G detection — even as Android Pie, which powers the current generation of 5G devices, does not natively identify 5G connection types. Through this approach, we’re able to properly configure the parameters of a Speedtest and measure 5G tests.

Other tests, which instead only download a very small file from a CDN or server, are insufficient to properly understand how a connection might perform when downloading a video or updating a mobile game over a 5G connection.

5G vs. LTE in major U.S. cities

Looking at Speedtest results in several major cities where mobile operators have launched 5G, we found that the performance gap between 5G and LTE is even more striking at the city level.

**Comparing 5G and LTE Download Speeds in Select U.S. Cities**
Speedtest Data | July 2019
City	Operator	5G (Mbps)	LTE (Mbps)	% Difference in 5G vs. LTE	Maximum on 5G (Mbps)
Atlanta	Sprint	246.30	81.45	202.4%	605.91
Chicago	Sprint	256.79	64.37	298.9%	724.33
Chicago	Verizon Wireless	873.20	128.71	578.4%	2034.76
Dallas	Sprint	292.17	114.41	155.4%	633.60
Denver	Verizon Wireless	988.37	107.41	820.2%	2018.62
Houston	Sprint	296.64	91.78	223.2%	653.50
Minneapolis	Verizon Wireless	931.98	91.59	917.5%	1935.10
Providence	Verizon Wireless	1138.82	101.32	1024.0%	1835.80

Verizon Wireless showed faster 5G Speedtest results, on average, than Sprint in cities like Chicago, where both operators offer 5G. This is because Verizon Wireless utilizes larger swaths of mmWave spectrum. The downside is that mmWave does not propagate as far, so while Sprint’s sub-6 GHz 5G deployments are slower than Verizon’s, Sprint is able to cover a wider area by mostly overlaying the existing LTE macro sites.

The S10 5G and the V50 ThinQ, both powered by the Snapdragon X50 modem, recorded a 4X improvement on Sprint’s 5G network in Chicago. While in Providence, Verizon’s 5G network is 11X faster than its baseline LTE. It’s remarkable how devices that fit in the palm of your hand are now capable of delivering speeds that exceed most residential fiber deployments.

Where we see 5G being used for uploads

Knowing that non-standalone (NSA) 5G deployments use an LTE anchor for signaling information as well as the user plane (EN-DC), upload speeds over 5G typically vary only slightly from baseline LTE speeds. But in Providence (Verizon) and Chicago (Sprint) we saw a significant delta on the uplink between 5G upload speeds and those on LTE. Both Sprint and Verizon use Samsung infrastructure equipment in these two markets, which may indicate that Samsung’s existing software solution could be slightly ahead of the competition.

**Comparing 5G and LTE Upload Speeds in Select U.S. Cities**
Speedtest Data | July 2019
City	Operator	5G (Mbps)	LTE (Mbps)	% Difference in 5G vs. LTE	Maximum on 5G (Mbps)
Chicago	Sprint	20.25	8.03	152.3%	40.96
Providence	Verizon Wireless	50.55	28.28	78.8%	133.84

We can’t say what download/upload ratio Sprint uses to supplement LTE uploads, but we tested Verizon’s 5G network in Providence first-hand several weeks ago and have some theories. We saw that utility poles carry Samsung 5G-only radios forming a tight 5G cell grid. We did not notice very many LTE macro sites within that particular area of coverage. Peak upload speeds were around 130 Mbps, and we’ve verified that LTE UL-CA (carrier aggregation) isn’t being used, which indicates that Verizon either supplements the existing LTE uplink with mmWave — or, more likely, uses mmWave entirely for user plane traffic on the uplink. The signaling exchange messages from the S10 5G reveal that it supports 100 MHz-wide channels on the uplink in the mmWave spectrum, with two-layer MIMO and 64 QAM — and to our knowledge Verizon could be the first network in the world leveraging mmWave in the uplink:

supportedSubcarrierSpacingUL kHz120,
supportedBandwidthUL fr2 : mhz100,
mimo-CB-PUSCH
maxNumberMIMO-LayersCB-PUSCH twoLayers,
maxNumberSRS-ResourcePerSet 1,
supportedModulationOrderUL qam64

The highly complex modem-to-antenna architecture supporting mmWave on the downlink requires lots of advanced processing for features like beamtracking and beamforming. Other than Qualcomm, most chipset manufacturers are still working on delivering their first-generation product. Qualcomm’s ability to make a commercially available product that can deliver a stable uplink using mmWave in the field while utilizing 2×2 MIMO is impressive.

What we expect from the Snapdragon X55 5G modem

The recently announced Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G T-Mobile and AT&T variants will feature the 2nd generation of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem. When this device hits the market sometime in Q4 2019, it will be the very first smartphone with support for 5G frequency division duplex (FDD) spectrum allocations. It will also unlock T-Mobile’s 600 MHz 5G network layer which aims to enhance its existing 5G coverage this year and bring broad nationwide 5G coverage next year.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G will also support the use of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), expected to be ready and deployed on the infrastructure side sometime in the first half of 2020. This 5G feature will enable operators without fallow FDD spectrum assets, like AT&T and Verizon, to offer 5G coverage concurrently with LTE using existing LTE spectrum assets. By simultaneously running both technologies on the same spectrum allocation and dynamically switching on the subframe level, operators will potentially eliminate the immediate need for spectrum refarming.

There are also some unknowns with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G. While Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 5G modem itself supports the concurrent use of FR1 (sub-6 GHz) and FR2 (mmWave) bands, the device design seeded to the U.S. market only seems to support FR1, which is used by T-Mobile and AT&T. Considering that the Snapdragon X55 is a multi-mode solution, we should expect integration of this modem into the next-generation system on a chip (SoC) from Qualcomm. Once coupled with QTM525 modules, this should further increase efficiencies. The FR2 Verizon variant will use the first-generation Snapdragon X50 modem. It will also be interesting to see if Samsung will implement a four-branch antenna design for low frequency bands on the FR1 Note variant (T-Mobile/AT&T), which would enable the use of carrier aggregation across two low-frequency bands or the use of four spatial streams on the 600 MHz and 700 MHz bands.

With the advent of 5G, chip manufacturers must tackle increasingly complex issues and OEMs must start using chips that are capable of meeting the demands of today’s consumers. According to our data, the Snapdragon X50 is already facilitating lightning-fast speeds in 5G-ready cities in the U.S. We’re excited to see the next generations of chips from Qualcomm and other manufacturers — as well as the wave of even faster speeds they make possible. For more detailed analyses of device capabilities and network performance, contact Ookla about enterprise solutions.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on August 14, 2019 to correct the date of launch of T-Mobile’s 5G service.

Apple has 5G! But How Fast is the iPhone 12?

Posted on January 14, 2021July 11, 2022 by Erdem Koc

Apple’s 5G-capable iPhone 12 is the latest step in the continuous cycle of new technical specifications, new network components, new (or refarmed) radio spectrums and compatible user equipment that aim to deliver enhanced 5G user experience. At Ookla®, we are fortunate to have a front-row seat to observe these advances and we were thrilled when Apple announced its first 5G devices on October 13, 2020. Given the popularity of Apple’s devices, this release marks a major milestone on the way to 5G becoming mainstream.

iPhone 12 launch drives spikes in 5G testing

The daily count of unique devices worldwide that are capable of connecting to 5G jumped dramatically when each new iPhone 12 variant launched. We saw a 138.3% increase when comparing the day the iPhone 12 5G and iPhone 12 Pro 5G were released to the mean of the previous week. On the day the iPhone 12 Mini 5G and iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G launched, there was a further 44.3% increase over that one-day spike.

Pro 5G and Pro Max 5G are the most popular iPhone 12 models

We examined Speedtest® results from the launch date of each model through the end of the year to see which iPhone 12 models are the most popular in 15 major cities across the globe. We found that most Speedtest users have opted for the “Pro” models. The iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G showed the highest number of samples among iPhone models in Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Riyadh and Sydney. The iPhone 12 Pro 5G showed the most samples in London, Madrid, Rome, Helsinki, Zürich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Seoul and Tokyo. While the more affordable models were less popular than the Pro models across all the cities on our list, the iPhone 12 Mini saw the most adoption in Tokyo and the iPhone 12 5G saw the most adoption in Rome.

Seoul tops list of iPhone 12 5G speeds

We analyzed Speedtest Intelligence® data for iPhone 12 devices in the same 15 cities and found that Seoul had the fastest median speed over 5G, followed by Dubai and Riyadh. Seoul also had the fastest upload speed by a considerable margin. This is not a surprise given reports that there are more than 100K 5G base stations in South Korea. It is interesting to note that European cities are relatively close to each other in terms of median download and upload speeds. That is good news for the 5G action plan of the European Commission and their target of having uninterrupted 5G coverage on major terrestrial transport paths by 2025.

Each of these markets utilizes its own unique approach to 5G. Today, the United States is the only market where iPhone 12 models support 5G high-bands, namely n260 and n261. This is to support existing commercial 5G deployments in the mmWave spectrum across all three Tier 1 operators.

Elsewhere on the globe mid-band (specifically the 3300-3800 MHz range in most countries) is the most common frequency range for initial 5G roll-outs. There are several reasons for this, ranging from principles of electromagnetic wave propagation to marketing strategies. High-band frequency ranges (above 24 GHz with 400-800 MHz contiguous bandwidth) can do wonders in terms of download speeds, but due to limited propagation characteristics, it can be challenging to provide a mmWave coverage layer across entire markets. In order to mitigate this well-known challenge, operators tend to rely on the lower frequency bands for coverage and selectively deploy mmWave applications in targeted areas (such as high-traffic locations).

Depending on market dynamics and spectrum availability, most providers choose non-standalone (NSA) 5G configuration with an LTE anchor. Operators with limited amounts of FR1 spectrum tend to use dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS), a feature which allows both LTE and New Radio (NR) operation on the same slice of spectrum at the same time. This feature enables a relatively easy deployment of 5G coverage layers, and is a stepping stone to standalone 5G (5G SA). In addition to these commonly observed strategies, a few operators are considering pushing the limits of digital convergence with open radio access networks (RAN).

No matter which strategy an operator chooses, one important fact about 5G does not change: access to a trio of low, mid and high bands and a strategy for rolling out 5G SA is critical. Deployment of the 5G SA core unlocks the potential of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (uRLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC).

Operator breakdown: iPhone 12 performance in select cities

5G deployments vary greatly from country to country, depending on spectrum allocated and the particular channel bandwidths each operator has deployed. This makes comparisons between countries difficult, as these factors directly impact the peak 5G speeds achievable in that market. However, looking at four major cities, we can see that performance by operator also varies.

In Seoul, the fastest city for 5G on the list above, the 3.5 GHz (Band n78) is used with 80 to 100 MHz channels per operator, and B2C mmWave (which would add a whopping 800 MHz channels per operator) is on the horizon. Here, LG U+ showed the fastest median download speed over 5G on the iPhone 12 in Seoul at 625.03 Mbps. SK Telecom was second and KT third.

The three Hong Kong mobile operators that launched commercial 5G networks on April 1, 2020 ranked fastest for iPhone 12 5G median download speed rankings in Hong Kong. China Mobile HK, the only 5G network provider in Hong Kong that has acquired 3.3 GHz (3380-3400 MHz) and 3.5 GHz (3400-3460 MHz) continuous bandwidth spectrum was the fastest of these three at 212.77 Mbps. CSL and 3 Hong Kong were a close second and third, respectively. SmarTone, which launched its 5G network a month later, was fourth.

The 3.5 GHz band is not yet available in the Netherlands, but this did not slow down Dutch operators in launching their commercial 5G networks in 2020. According to Speedtest Intelligence data, KPN Mobile was comfortably at the top, with a median download speed of 211.80 Mbps over 5G using the iPhone 12 in Amsterdam during Q4 2020. T-Mobile was second and Vodafone third.

While Spanish operators currently benefit from the n78 band, the next step is expected to be the delayed addition of low bands (700 MHz). In Madrid, Vodafone showed the fastest median download speed over 5G using the iPhone 12 during Q4 2020 at 232.51. Orange was second fastest, Yoigo third and Movistar at fourth.

We will continue to monitor how Apple’s 5G-capable devices impact the global market. Contact us to learn more about how Speedtest Intelligence can help you understand the latest developments in your market.

Revisiting iPhone 12 5G Performance Across the Globe

Posted on February 22, 2021July 11, 2022 by Erdem Koc

As we previously covered, the iPhone 12 is finally allowing Apple enthusiasts to connect to 5G. We’re back with fresh data to see how user adoption and new 5G rollouts have affected performance worldwide.

Unique 5G-capable device counts have leveled off

After the launch of various iPhone 12 models, the daily count of unique devices worldwide that are capable of connecting to 5G spiked significantly compared to the year as a whole. The daily trend of unique 5G-capable devices as a percentage of the whole year is dramatically higher than before the iPhone 12 models launched, but has remained relatively steady since December.

Pro 5G and Pro Max 5G are the most popular iPhone 12 models

We looked again at Speedtest® results from the launch date of each model, this time including data through the end of January, to see which iPhone 12 models are the most popular. This time we added five additional cities for a total of 20 major cities across the globe. We still found that most Speedtest users have opted for the “Pro” models.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max 5G showed the highest number of samples among iPhone models in Bangkok, Kuwait City, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh, Hong Kong, New York, London, Madrid and Sydney. This was a change for both London and Madrid, which had previously had more samples from the iPhone 12 Pro 5G.

The iPhone 12 Pro 5G showed the most samples in Seoul, Zürich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Helsinki, Rome, Barcelona and Tokyo. While the more affordable models were less popular than the Pro models across all the cities on our list, the iPhone 12 Mini saw the most adoption in Tokyo and the iPhone 12 5G saw the most adoption in Rome and Madrid.

Seoul tops list of iPhone 12 5G speeds

As before, we analyzed Speedtest Intelligence® data for iPhone 12 devices in these 20 cities and found that Seoul had the fastest median speed over 5G, followed by several of the major cities of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), namely Kuwait City, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh.

It is also interesting to observe that, in the highly dynamic European market where many different network rollout approaches are possible, 5G download speeds in seven of nine European cities fell between 135-160 Mbps range on the iPhone 12. Helsinki and Warsaw were the exceptions in Europe, with 241.98 and 61.14 Mbps median download speeds, respectively.

Operator breakdown: iPhone 12 performance in select cities

We also expanded our operator analysis to 10 cities. The following charts include median 5G speeds over iPhone 12 models of top operators with sufficient samples.

Operator rankings did not change in the four cities we previously analyzed. LG U+ in Seoul, China Mobile Hong Kong in Hong Kong and KPN Mobile in Amsterdam still had the fastest median 5G download speeds over the iPhone 12 in their local markets.

Barcelona showed similar speeds by operator to those in Madrid. We could not yet determine whether Vodafone or Orange’s 5G networks were fastest for iPhone 12, but both providers had a solid lead over Movistar in both Madrid and Barcelona.

United Arab Emirates was the fastest country for mobile according to the January 2021 Speedtest Global Index^™. As the capital and the second most populous city in the country, Abu Dhabi contributed to this average with median 5G download speeds of 396.06 Mbps on the iPhone 12 for Etisalat and 211.83 Mbps for du.

In Bangkok, AIS showed the highest median 5G download speed over the iPhone 12 at 362.68 Mbps. TrueMove H followed at 242.22 Mbps. These two operators also had the highest number of Speedtest results over iPhone 12 among all operators analyzed for this article. Another popular operator in the region, DTAC, is not included in the chart due to limited iPhone 12 5G samples.

Data from Speedtest Intelligence reveals that Sunrise had the fastest median 5G download speed over iPhone 12 by a considerable margin at 328.32 Mbps.

Telekom in Berlin comfortably had the fastest median 5G download speed over iPhone 12 at 249.16 Mbps.

As mentioned above, median 5G speeds over iPhone 12 lagged in Warsaw when compared with other European cities analyzed. This is likely due to the fact that the auction of 3.4-3.8 GHz bands did not take place as planned in Poland because of the pandemic. As of this analysis, Orange and T-Mobile’s 5G speeds for iPhone 12 devices were faster than Play, which trailed with 42.53 Mbps. We also saw 5G tests from Plus in Speedtest Intelligence, but the operator is not included in the above chart due to lack of iPhone 12 samples compared to other operators.