iPhone 11 iPhones with Intel cellular modems, your experiences?

[mcalict]

We're looking at getting a family member an inexpensive iPhone (still running iOS 16 or newer). From my own experience with an iPhone SE 2020 (dropped calls, WiFi constantly disconnecting), I question if Intel cellular modems aren't as robust as Qualcomms, as far as sensitivity, range, etc. We're wondering if we should just skip a few generations (certain iPhone 8's - 11's).

If you have experience with signal quality and had an iPhone with an Intel modem, would appreciate you sharing...

 

[killawat]

Qualcomm, Always.

 

[magbarn]

It's been trash tier for me in the past. I even went unlocked one year to make sure I got Qualcomm. Notice Apple's own difficulty in getting their own Cellular chip out after they bought out Intel's Cell Modem division.

OTOH, the main difference is when you're in a rural area or in spotty reception. If you're always in a middle of a major city with good reception, they're basically the same.

 

[rui no onna]

The iPhone SE 2022 has Qualcomm iirc if you’re looking for a cheap iPhone. In the US, you can get brand new Tracfone-family branded SE 2022 for $150 from Walmart. Requires initial load for activation then unlocks after 60 days (same as normal Verizon policy).

Mind, I’ve never had reception issues on my iPhone SE 2020. Battery on that degraded a lot quicker compared to my other iPhones, though.

My dad’s iPhone 11 though, had SIM issues twice. First time, it was replaced under Apple warranty, the second time it happened after warranty expired, I just replaced it with the iPhone 13.

 

[austriak]

Go for one that has Qualcomm. When there was that short period of using the intel modem, it didn't have as good cell coverage and it impacted battery life more.

 

[wortex]

I had XS Max with intel, terrible experience, loosing LTE internet constantly, never ever, I do not recommend.

 

[newellj]

Another post agreeing with the posts above. The Intel modems were junk. I went through five of the iPhone 7 before I concluded that I was never going to have decent cellular connectivity. The subsequent iPhone models with Intel modems didn't do much better. If you're buying an older iPhone with an Intel modem, buy it expecting that the only reliable connectivity is going to be on wifi. It may not turn out to be quite that bad, but that way you won't be disappointed.

 

[Beelzbub]

Might explain why my daughters iPhone 11 had so many problems with reception then. When it was new, it was fine like any other phone, but over time it degraded (reception and voice quality). And I forget exactly what happened now, but something broke on it and instead of buying a new phone, I took it to an authorized repair center, and it worked for about two weeks and then the whole thing stopped working pretty much as far as cellular goes and WiFi was hit or miss. So I ended up buying a new one and gave her my 12 Pro.

 

[mcalict]

OTOH, the main difference is when you're in a rural area or in spotty reception. If you're always in a middle of a major city with good reception, they're basically the same.

Great point. Living in a Tennessee suburb, but between ridges, Verizon is the only option. When we tried AT&T I couldn't receive a call inside the house, and T-Mobile had no service at all (pre-5G). Curiously Sprint was great where we live (before T-Mobile acquired them), and horrible everywhere else. We've just had so many dropped calls lately with the SE 2020 that I'm convinced it's simply not as good a "phone" as our ancient 6s+.

 

[mcalict]

Appreciate everyone's insights. Thank you. The best decision is to probably skip to an SE2022, or 12 if we can find one on the cheap.