Apple has just unveiled the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, which come with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X75 modem. This new modem brings several exciting improvements, including 5G Advanced support, lower power consumption, and enhanced 5G carrier aggregation for faster upload speeds. These upgrades should offer a noticeable boost in mobile connectivity for the iPhone 16.

Does this new modem = faster speed?

In simple terms, yes, we’ve seen positive results. By comparing speed test data from the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max with last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, we’ve observed an impressive average increase of 23.7% in download speeds across all three major US networks. Verizon stands out with a 26.4% improvement in average 5G download speeds.

Both T-Mobile and Verizon show strong network performance with the new iPhone, reaching average download speeds of over 400 Mbps. These speeds are likely to improve further as T-Mobile’s 5G UC and Verizon’s UW coverage continue to expand. AT&T also shows a healthy 25.7% increase in 5G download speeds with the new iPhone. Additionally, the Snapdragon X75 modem has made notable improvements in upload speeds, an often overlooked but important metric. Across all three networks, upload speeds have increased by 22.1%, with average speeds now comfortably over 30 Mbps.

With the addition of WiFi 7, this year's iPhone update appears to be a step forward in connectivity. We’ll be sure to provide an update later this year to see how 5G speeds are holding up across all three carriers.