5G speed: the iPhone 12 back from the main Android smartphones |igeneration

5G being the big affair of the iPhone 12, and Apple having taken its time compared to other manufacturers, we could have expected that the new range of smartphones is at least at the level of competition at the levelDownload speed in 5G.But according to the data collected by OpenSignal, which publishes the network measurement app of the same name, this is not really the case.

It is even frankly disappointing for the iPhone 12, which no model appears in the top 25 smartphones in terms of average speed of cell download 5G in the United States.Samsung takes a large part of the cake, its terminals (including the S21 range) occupying 60% of this ranking.

Surprise: Three foldable devices are made a place (the Motorola Razr, the Galaxy Z Flip and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2).Rather auspicious for manufacturers and operators: despite their innovative design, they have no problem hanging on a 5G network.Future foldable models should therefore not encounter any problem at this level.We also note that the Google Pixel 5 is present.But no iPhone 12 ...

The good news all the same for the iPhone 12 and its users, it is the sensitive increase (X2.3) of the download speed between 4G and 5G on Apple smartphones.You will tell me, luckily it goes faster in 5g.But the gain is all the more important since from the iPhone XS, the manufacturer's devices only incorporate Intel cellular chips, less efficient than their equivalents at Qualcomm.

Obviously, everything has changed with the iPhone 12 which works with a 5G Qualcomm modem, the X55, as part of a partnership that will continue (more or less) until 2023.But then, since all manufacturers use Qualcomm chips, how to explain the difference between iPhone 12 and competition?

Ian Fogg, who supervised the study, explains that Samsung and others benefit from greater expertise in the placement of antennas and their design.The Galaxy S21 was the third generation of 5G smartphones at Samsung, while the iPhone 12 is, of course, the first generation at Apple.

Apple's "disadvantage" in the matter is also read in average speeds of download in 4G and 5G for its smartphones, systematically lower than on LG, Samsung, Google or OnePlus devices.On the other hand, and as it was expected, the iPhone 12 also displays higher averages than previous generations of iPhone.Sometimes very little: the iPhone 11 Pro Max, however 4G, is not that far from the iPhone 12…

OpenSignal also gives a good reason to wait for future iPads which will be compatible 5G (they will necessarily be, huh m'sieur Apple): you must expect a serious gain in terms of the speed of download on the 5G network.

Download on iPhone 12 Pro is on average 36% more swift than on iPad Pro, which is logical (they are satisfied with 4G).CQFD: With the integration of a 5G chip in future tablets, users will therefore mechanically benefit better performance for cell download, as long as there is a compatible network in the area.