A new Cellular Insights report commissioned by Qualcomm has found that two unnamed Android smartphone models equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 and Snapdragon X80 modems achieved faster 5G speeds compared to the iPhone 16e, which is equipped with Apple's first-ever, custom-designed C1 modem.
Testing was conducted with T-Mobile's sub-6GHz 5G network in New York City, across a variety of real-world environments, according to Cellular Insights.
The report found that the Android devices "consistently outperformed" the iPhone 16e in terms of 5G connectivity, especially indoors. Specifically, the Android devices achieved up to 35% faster download speeds compared to the iPhone 16e, and up to 91% faster upload speeds. The report also found that the iPhone 16e frequently became hot to the touch during testing, but it could not confirm if this directly impacted performance.
The two Android smartphones were priced at $619 and $799 in the U.S., the report said, while the iPhone 16e starts at $599.
Based on its findings, Cellular Insights concluded that the Qualcomm-powered devices "hold a clear edge" over the iPhone 16e for individuals seeking "consistent, high-throughput 5G performance." Qualcomm's PR department is now touting the favorable results, which they relayed to us in an email sent earlier today.
The full report is available as a PDF.
Apple's C1 modem achieved equal to faster performance than some Qualcomm modems in some earlier tests, but a Qualcomm spokesperson said this study is the "only comprehensive, scientific" comparison completed on a U.S. network so far.
Performance is not the only metric that matters for a smartphone modem, with power efficiency also being an important factor. Apple has advertised the C1 modem as being the most power-efficient iPhone modem ever, which contributes to the iPhone 16e offering the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone model ever. With its next-generation C2 and C3 modems, Apple hopes to continue to close the gap on the performance front.
