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illmatic41

macrumors regular
Aug 19, 2012
204
193
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OcramSagev

macrumors member
Nov 2, 2017
90
21
San Francisco, CA
Read this article recently, good article.. I want to see more articles like this:
Uploads are CLEARLY throttled on the Qualcomm modem, within a second of the test beginning the speeds will tank for a couple of seconds before attempting to rebound. The Intel modem had both upload and download speeds that were extremely smooth in nature without any sudden jumps or dips in the speed while the test was running..
You will need a Samsung S8 to see if the upload speeds are capped.
 

drew05

macrumors regular
Feb 18, 2008
137
94
Before diving into the results, it’s worth keeping two important things in mind. First, these results aren’t conclusive: the data only measures speed, not variables like location, cell signal, or LTE bands, and the sample size is still small, as the phone hasn’t even been out for two weeks yet. The author of the report says that “an admittedly small number of speed tests have been taken with the iPhone X compared to other iPhone models,” so don’t go jumping to any conclusions just yet.

Straight from the article. Calm down. Also someone already posted this.
 

citivolus

macrumors 65816
Sep 19, 2008
1,165
247
Has to make all those people that went through the hassle of getting a Verizon phone for use on a GSM carrier feel just a little bit silly.
Actually it doesn't. I'm on AT&T. I drive the same commute every day and stream video from my iPhone X and just listen to the audio. The Intel version would pause several times during my commute. Now that I switched to the Verizon version, it hasn't paused once to buffer. YMMV, but for me personally, I'm happy, not silly.
 
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daraj

macrumors member
Jun 24, 2010
86
24
Ok this is getting confusing all these conflicting tests and reports!! which one if faster, more efficient and provides better reception? Jeez lol
[doublepost=1510757916][/doublepost]
Actually it doesn't. I'm on AT&T. I drive the same commute every day and stream video from my iPhone X and just listen to the audio. The Intel version would pause several times during my commute. Now that I switched to the Verizon version, it hasn't paused once to buffer. YMMV, but for me personally, I'm happy, not silly.

Have you noticed better reception or faster speeds?
 

Dirtydutch

macrumors 6502a
Sep 19, 2015
685
571
Jerseyyy
"All that being said, here’s the important numbers: On AT&T and T-Mobile, the two networks that support both the Qualcomm and Intel iPhone X models, the Intel phone was faster. On AT&T, Intel iPhone X averaged 30.13Mbps, while the Qualcomm iPhone X averaged 27.46Mbps. On T-Mobile, the Intel phone averaged 33.34Mbps, and the Qualcomm device averaged 26.54Mbps."

Per the article if you use T Mobile or AT&T you'd get the better speeds using the intended modem...obviously anecdotal but still reiterates the fact that most of us realize, unless you NEED the Qualcomm modem, the difference is not worth the hassle.
 

mjr1000

macrumors regular
Oct 31, 2017
182
72
I had asked this earlier, but in light of the Qualcomm Galaxy S8 vs iPhone X speed tests (which showed the Galaxy is nearly twice as fast even though they have the same modem - http://bgr.com/2017/11/14/iphone-x-vs-galaxy-note-8-lte-speed-test-its-not-even-close/), and in light of AT&T perhaps rolling out their 5G network sooner than expected (https://www.macrumors.com/2017/11/15/attlaunch-5g-network-super-bowl/), could you un-throttle the Qualcomm modem on the iPhone X with a jailbreak? Has anyone done this on older iPhones (7)?
 

DaveOP

macrumors 68000
May 29, 2011
1,576
2,325
Portland, OR
People have always overblown this. I don't run speed tests, keep battery percentage off, and just enjoy my iPhone. Browsing and streaming is plenty fast, the phone lasts until after bedtime, so why does it even matter?
 
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dlewis23

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,149
1,827
I had asked this earlier, but in light of the Qualcomm Galaxy S8 vs iPhone X speed tests (which showed the Galaxy is nearly twice as fast even though they have the same modem - http://bgr.com/2017/11/14/iphone-x-vs-galaxy-note-8-lte-speed-test-its-not-even-close/),

I really don't believe that test at all. There testing method is subject and the results are not where near what I have seen from across the country.

Over the past week I have seen many iPhone X speed test results above 400 Mbps on T-Mobile in the US.
 

richard371

macrumors 68040
Feb 1, 2008
3,610
1,802
I guarantee it won’t hapoen. I’d bet anything on it. Apple doesn’t want 2 of their same models performing differently esp on att since most of the att models are on intel. Next iPhone model will do 5g. Jailbreaks don’t have access to the modem codes etc.
I had asked this earlier, but in light of the Qualcomm Galaxy S8 vs iPhone X speed tests (which showed the Galaxy is nearly twice as fast even though they have the same modem - http://bgr.com/2017/11/14/iphone-x-vs-galaxy-note-8-lte-speed-test-its-not-even-close/), and in light of AT&T perhaps rolling out their 5G network sooner than expected (https://www.macrumors.com/2017/11/15/attlaunch-5g-network-super-bowl/), could you un-throttle the Qualcomm modem on the iPhone X with a jailbreak? Has anyone done this on older iPhones (7)?
 

jlaw

macrumors member
Aug 15, 2007
48
0
Maybe I’m missing something, but isn’t a major component of the Qualcomm superiority argument that performance is better under sub-optimal signal conditions - which was not taken into account in the test results referenced in the article?
 

Lobwedgephil

Contributor
Apr 7, 2012
5,711
4,653
It is very likely the Intel modem improved and with the QC modem throttled, performance this year is basically the same.
 

dlewis23

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,149
1,827
It is very likely the Intel modem improved and with the QC modem throttled, performance this year is basically the same.

Thats not true. The iPhone X regardless of modem brand is seeing quite a bit higher avg. speed vs a iPhone 7. Performance is definitely not about the same.
 

dlewis23

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,149
1,827
Huh? I didn't mention this compared to the iPhone 7 at all.

Hit the post button before I finished typing. Performance is is not about the same when you look at AT&T or T-Mobile, they are both quite a bit faster with the Intel modem vs. the Qualcomm modem. About 10 - 15%.
 

MacDevil7334

Contributor
Oct 15, 2011
2,528
5,719
Austin TX
I think the data is pretty clear that the two modems offer similar performance in normal conditions. The only remaining question is whether the Qualcomm modem offers signal and/or battery life advantages over the Intel in cases of low signal. I would definitely like to see more data on that.
 

prospervic

macrumors 65816
Aug 2, 2007
1,047
1,206
NYC
...Hopefully this helps, but it is my opinion that searching for a Qualcomm phone just to have CDMA capabilities when you will never use it is silly this year. Until someone can perform more scientific testing, I think this is about as extensive as we are going to get. For me, I will be sticking with the Qualcomm phone simply because I do tend to swap back and forth between T-Mobile and Verizon, but otherwise I would keep the Intel simply for the new Field Test mode that allows me to see signal and carrier aggregation status.
Wish I had seen this before I jumped through all kinds of hoops, over three days, to get a Verizon iPhone X. I originally just wanted to return my T-mobile Space Gray X for a silver one, but all the while I had in my mind the (apparently mythical) superiority of the Qualcomm modem.

Actually it worked out ok, because for 3 days in a row the only 256gb Silver models in my area Apple stores were Verizon, and I was already half-way through the 14-day trial period. So, I wen't to the Verizon store and got a new phone number (using my T-mobile phone), then at 6:00am the next morning, I used the Apple store app to order the Verizon X by opening up a second IUP loan (hence, the need for the new phone number). While picking it up at the Apple store, I returned the T-mobile phone and put the sim card in the new Verizon phone (this required activating with Verizon first). I then called Verizon and converted my post-paid account to prepaid.

The upshot: I now have a "maybe" faster modem, but more importantly, I have a beautiful Silver iPhone X, and get a month to try Verizon in some rural areas where I got "no signal" with T-mobile.
 
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Starfyre

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 7, 2010
2,905
1,136
In the limited testing I've done so far, I've observed the following:

Test 1: Drove to 10 different places in the city, checked signal on phone
Both appeared to have the same signal, sometimes Intel was better, other times Qualcomm was better. Didn't seem like a definitive difference.

Test 2: Parking Garage Basement Test (Drive Down and Back Up)
I had both phones on, drove into a parking garage, and started slowly going down level by level.
From my initial observations, the Qualcomm seemed to lose the cellular data connection first, while the T-Mobile dropped down to 4G. After going down a bit further, both phones lost signal completely.

I slowly started driving back up the ramps to get out of the garage, and I noticed the Qualcomm recovering the fastest with a bar with LTE, while the T-Mobile found one bar and had no data. After slowly going up further, the T-Mobile showed 4G, and later on both showed 3 bars LTE.

I am not sure if I trust one over the other, but all I can say is I am happy with my Verizon Qualcomm phone, the last of it's kind. In my personal tests, the download speeds were noticeably higher, and I am more than satisfied with that. I hope more tests come out besides the one from cellularinsights, but at this point I've had very positive experiences with my phone.
 
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duffman9000

macrumors 68020
Sep 7, 2003
2,327
8,083
Deep in the Depths of CA
Wish I had seen this before I jumped through all kinds of hoops, over three days, to get a Verizon iPhone X. I originally just wanted to return my T-mobile Space Gray X for a silver one, but all the while I had in my mind the (apparently mythical) superiority of the Qualcomm modem.

Actually it worked out ok, because for 3 days in a row the only 256gb Silver models in my area Apple stores were Verizon, and I was already half-way through the 14-day trial period. So, I wen't to the Verizon store and got a new phone number (using my T-mobile phone), then at 6:00am the next morning, I used the Apple store app to order the Verizon X by opening up a second IUP loan (hence, the need for the new phone number). While picking it up at the Apple store, I returned the T-mobile phone and put the sim card in the new Verizon phone (this required activating with Verizon first). I then called Verizon and converted my post-paid account to prepaid.

The upshot: I now have a "maybe" faster modem, but more importantly, I have a beautiful Silver iPhone X, and get a month to try Verizon in some rural areas where I got "no signal" with T-mobile.

The Apple IUP rules when your carrier is T-Mobile is what drove me to a Verizon X. I talked to 2 Apple sales rep and both agreed it's not a nice situation for T-Mobile customers.
 

solodogg

macrumors 6502a
Oct 28, 2011
510
215
Orlando
FWIW, you can now purchase the Verizon X at full price directly from Apple without needing carrier info at checkout. Hopefully this will help those of you that are still seeking the Qualcomm phone.
 
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