Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 lineup at its "It's Glowtime" event on September 9, revealing four new models: the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. While all the attention has been focused on new features like Camera Control and Apple Intelligence, there's another important upgrade that seems to have been overlooked: 5G speeds.
A recently published test has revealed that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models can deliver significantly faster 5G speeds than their predecessors, to the point that it could make a noticeable difference for the average user. Notably, this improvement in 5G speeds is entirely thanks to Qualcomm's new modem.
The new iPhone 16 Pro models are powered by the Snapdragon X75 modem, which brings a number of improvements. According to tests conducted by SpeedSmart, the iPhone 16 Pro models achieved an average increase of 23.7% in 5G download speeds across all three major US carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
Specifically, Verizon customers saw a significant improvement with a 26.4% increase in 5G speeds, followed by AT&T and T-Mobile. Both T-Mobile and AT&T networks offer impressive 5G speeds, which can exceed 400Mbps with iPhone 16 Pro models.
T-Mobile topped the download speed test with 447.50Mbps, while Verizon hit 409.88Mbps. AT&T came in third with “just” 269.48Mbps. However, in the upload speed test, all three major carriers saw an average increase of 22.1%, with upload speeds easily surpassing the 30Mbps threshold.
Again, all of these 5G speed improvements are thanks to the new generation Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem, which supports advanced 5G technology, reduces power consumption, and has better 5G carrier aggregation capabilities to improve upload speeds.
It's worth noting that these significant speed improvements won't be available on the standard iPhone 16 models, as both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come with the older Snapdragon X70 modem.
Qualcomm is now the sole supplier of Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems for Apple products to be introduced in 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027. This means the two companies have extended their 5G modem agreement for another three years.
This new agreement is surprising because experts previously predicted that Apple would start using its own 5G modem on the iPhone in 2024. The Cupertino company has spared no expense in investing in modem technology research since 2019, when it canceled its partnership with Intel, but no notable successes have been announced.
As mentioned, Apple is likely having problems with its in-house 5G solution. The company's ongoing problems with its own 5G modems are also the reason why the iPhone SE 4 has been delayed by at least two years.
As for Qualcomm, the company has a habit of charging its partners quite a bit of money for being the exclusive supplier of a particular component. So it is not surprising that Apple has tried to “break away” from Qualcomm in the 5G modem segment, but the results have not been as expected so far. In 2022, cooperation agreements with Apple are estimated to account for 21% of Qualcomm’s total revenue.
On stage at MWC 2025, Qualcomm made a splash when it introduced its eighth generation of 5G modem called the X85, which is expected to be used in flagship smartphones launching later this year.
Google has decided to end its long-standing partnership with Qualcomm and instead use MediaTek's T900 modem in the Pixel 10 series.
Qualcomm has officially announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite, its next-generation flagship SoC for premium smartphones.
After launching the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 as a budget-friendly version of the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm is preparing to launch the next generation.
Leading Android smartphone brands like Google and Samsung are currently pioneering the policy of providing software update support as well as security patches for 7 consecutive years for the latest generation of smartphones.
Qualcomm has quietly introduced a new mid-range mobile processor called Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 (codename SM6475-AB).
Back in December 2023, AMD introduced the Ryz 8040 (Hawk Point) series mobile APUs, while also revealing a few brief details about the next-generation Strix Point series.
Qualcomm has just introduced three new processors designed specifically for mobile gaming devices and handheld consoles.
iOS 26 introduces a super simple feature to set call reminders for missed calls, helping you minimize the possibility of forgetting to call back important calls.
Changing DNS on iPhone or changing DNS on Android will help you maintain a stable connection, increase network connection speed and access blocked websites.
When you send a collaborative album on iPhone to someone else, they'll need to agree to join it. There are several ways to accept invitations to share an album on iPhone, as shown below.
Because AirPods are small and light, they can sometimes be easy to lose. The good news is that before you start tearing your house apart looking for your missing earbuds, you can track them using your iPhone.
Did you know that depending on the region where your iPhone is manufactured, it may have differences compared to iPhones sold in other countries?
If you haven't checked your privacy settings in a while, now is the time to prevent future tracking before it starts.
There is a way to enjoy iMessage (one of the best features of the Apple ecosystem) without having to give up your Android phone.
In addition to using video editing apps to separate audio from video on iPhone, there are many other ways to do it, such as using shortcuts.
The iMessage app on iPhone has the option to change the message background with the background image provided by the app, or use the photo sent in the conversation as the message background on iPhone.
Syncing your iPhone with your iPad is a great way to improve your workflow. Doing so gives you seamless access to your apps, documents, and photos on both devices.
Below are 8 ways to increase network speed on your phone if the network connection is weak or unstable, affecting the usage of the device.
Android comes with a lot of security features, but many of them are hidden deep in settings, so they often go unused.
When switching from one device to another, users need to copy data if they do not want to lose it. So how can you transfer contacts from iPhone to Android?
The Apple Music playlist folder shows a consolidated view of all your songs, allowing you to play them in order or shuffle them.
From adjusting text size and controlling the device with just your eyes to unlocking a hidden button on the back, this menu offers tools that can really change the way you use your iPhone for the better.
