Analysis of how Apple’s latest lower cost iPhone, the 2022 iPhone SE, compares with other iPhone models and rival smartphone makers in 5G experience. Notably, Apple prioritized including 5G and the modern A15 chipset over other potential enhancements such as adding Face ID or multiple rear cameras. Apple is not alone with this shift to 5G, other smartphone makers are now increasingly including 5G in mid-range and even in some entry level smartphone models. Read the full analysis here.
The overall speed experienced by 5G smartphones differs greatly by smartphone brand. However, across all brands we see that the overall speed for 5G devices is significantly higher compared with 4G smartphone models of the same brand. This increase highlights the importance of 5G technology to accelerate the mobile experience.
It’s notable that Samsung sees a much smaller speed uplift for its 5G smartphones than other brands, ranging from 1.4 times faster for Samsung’s 5G models over its 4G models in Italy and Germany, to 1.6 times faster in the UK. The uplift in download speed we see for 5G smartphone models over 4G smartphone models is greatest for iPhone devices.
Samsung dominates the rankings for the top 25 fastest 5G smartphone models in the U.S., 60% of models in the list are Samsung. The new Samsung Galaxy S21 5G has the highest U.S. average download speed. Apple users see the biggest leap in speeds in 5G areas among smartphone brands — 2.3x faster. “Foldable” smartphones are competitive with conventional 5G smartphone designs for cellular speeds, despite the additional complexity of antenna design in “transformable” form factors. When there is a 5G iPad, users are set to see a speed boost: today, because 5G-capable iPhone 12 Pro users have speeds 36% faster than current cellular iPad Pro users that are limited to 4G. Read the full analysis
Looking ahead to the unveiling of the first 5G iPhone models, I analyzed the experience of current 4G iPhone models and compared it with 5G phones from other brands to understand the potential for 5G to lift improve Apple users’ mobile experience. Read the full analysis.
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