Other Any cellular / RF performance comparisons of the iPhone 17, Air, Pro, and Pro Max?

[exi]

Current Air user out of return window. Still second-guessing my decision to have returned the 17 Pro.

The X80 modem and antenna design of the 17 Pro and Pro Max make me think it should be a better performer from a cellular/RF standpoint.

Has anyone seen any semi-decent testing of this, especially given real-world variability of such things? All I've seen so far are questionable entertainment videos from Doggett and a passing comment or two in a review here and there.

 

[maka344]

There’s some on Reddit. People say the Air is not as good as the pro but the air is more efficient than the pro when it comes to cellular use.

 

[robrobrobro]

I was hoping for some clarity around this before making my purchase, but ended up with an Air a few days ago. I assume the lack of discourse around the Air’s cellular reception can only be a good thing.

I haven’t gotten to test it much yet, but so far it seems at least as good as my previous 13 Pro. I called my mother yesterday and she said I sounded much clearer on the phone than I used to. WiFi has been noticeably speedier for whatever that’s worth.

 

[ValerieDurden]

I initially had weird reception problems when I first got the phone, after resetting network settings it's been great.

 

[bbates123]

The C1X in my Air gives me much better cellular reception and speeds than my 16 Pro FWIW. I live in an area were cellular connection is mediocre. That matches my understanding that the C1X performs better in lower coverage areas. I will never get mmWave here so that is a blessing. On a somewhat related note I find that my Apple Watch Ultra 3 behaves similarly with better cellular reception than my Ultra 2.

 

[exi]

The C1X in my Air gives me much better cellular reception and speeds than my 16 Pro FWIW. I live in an area were cellular connection is mediocre. That matches my understanding that the C1X performs better in lower coverage areas. I will never get mmWave here so that is a blessing. On a somewhat related note I find that my Apple Watch Ultra 3 behaves similarly with better cellular reception than my Ultra 2.

This is interesting. I preliminarily saw lesser Field Test numbers on my Air versus my old 16 Pro (and versus brief 17 Pro use), but experiences posted seem to suggest the C1X is still real-world similar to, or better than, the 16 Pro / X75.

Curious if any others have seen this or can compare similarly to the X80. My brief use of a 17 Pro seemed better than the Air, but inconsistently so - nothing conclusive.

 

[GP-SE]

My 17 Pro Max has much better reception than my previous 16 Pro Max, and 14 Pro Max. Usually iPhones aren't known for great antenna design or RF performance, but the 17 Pro Max with X80 is really good. I find my phone getting 5G+ signal in areas that the 16 would only get 5G, and in low signal areas data is still usable compared to the 16 Pro Max which would stall.