The 5G download data speed of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is nearly twice as fast as its predecessor،
What makes this unexpected is that the iPhone 15 series uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Snapdragon X65 5G modem with which the 2022 iPhone models were equipped. Apple, which must surely have carried out a similar test, never mentioned it during the September 12 unveiling of the new iPhone range.
Improved 5G data download speeds could be the result of more than just Qualcomm’s new 5G modem. After all, Ookla’s list of the five median 5G data download speeds in the U.S. in the third quarter doesn’t include the iPhone15 and iPhone 15 Plus. Both of these phones also feature the Snapdragon X70 5G modem. This suggests that the 3nm A17 Pro chipset, not found in the non-Pro 2023 iPhone models, has something to do with the faster 5G data download speeds.
As you probably know, Apple has struggled to complete the project it started to build its own 5G modem chips, forcing it to sign a contract with Qualcomm last month that will keep Apple supplied with chips of Snapdragon 5G modem until 2026. Analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong Securities recently said that Apple will use the next-generation Snapdragon X75 5G modem chip on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone16 Pro Max while non-Pro models will continue to use the Snapdragon X70 chip.
The Snapdragon X75 5G modem chip uses carrier aggregation to combine multiple carriers, enabling faster data speeds and increased capacity. Additionally, the X75 5G modem chip will take up 25% less space on the iPhone’s circuit board than the X70.