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Starfyre's T-Mobile/AT&T (Intel) vs Verizon (Qualcomm) iPhone X Benchmarks for GSM Users
- Thread starter Starfyre
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Thanks starfyre for your analysis. I just sold my 2 T-mobile iPX's on Craigslist for a small profit. Was originally going to return them to Apple Store and grab a Verizon model, but this buyer offered cash and only made sure they weren't Sprint models LOL.
I liken the Verizon/Qualcomm iPhone X to the original Sony PlayStation 3. That PS3 from 2006 was the only one to have the Emotion Engine chip to offer nearly 100% backwards compatibility to PS2 games. Then it became software-based emulation.
Download speeds matters more to me than upload. Once Apple switches everything to Intel, you will lose benefits from the superior Qualcomm modem with better power efficiency. It's Chip-gate all over again like TSMC vs Samsung.
If you want the very best X, it's the Verizon iPhone X. That network is also superior to all of them. It's my first network but I suggest if you are on AT&T and Sprint to move there. T-Mobile's claims having faster data speeds than Verizon is bs. They own Ookla. The largest network in the US is the best.
I used to hate Verizon as I was on AT&T for a decade and preferred GSM sims over CDMA ESN crap. Verizon used to cripple and cripple their devices. Then Verizon turned the corner by having their LTE phones unlocked a few years ago.
Verizon also stopped putting their ugly branding (Verizon's 4G LTE) on recent flagships from Samsung and Google. Verizon didn't tarnish the Pixels one bit.
Ever since they kept their 4G phones unlocked and didn't molest the Pixels, they became the best to me again. Verizon still does add bloat on Samsungs and other Android devices. But iPhones and Pixels are always clean from their hands.
Download speeds matters more to me than upload. Once Apple switches everything to Intel, you will lose benefits from the superior Qualcomm modem with better power efficiency. It's Chip-gate all over again like TSMC vs Samsung.
If you want the very best X, it's the Verizon iPhone X. That network is also superior to all of them. It's my first network but I suggest if you are on AT&T and Sprint to move there. T-Mobile's claims having faster data speeds than Verizon is bs. They own Ookla. The largest network in the US is the best.
I used to hate Verizon as I was on AT&T for a decade and preferred GSM sims over CDMA ESN crap. Verizon used to cripple and cripple their devices. Then Verizon turned the corner by having their LTE phones unlocked a few years ago.
Verizon also stopped putting their ugly branding (Verizon's 4G LTE) on recent flagships from Samsung and Google. Verizon didn't tarnish the Pixels one bit.
Ever since they kept their 4G phones unlocked and didn't molest the Pixels, they became the best to me again. Verizon still does add bloat on Samsungs and other Android devices. But iPhones and Pixels are always clean from their hands.
Just out of curiosity. I don’t have a Verizon account, would they sell me a Verizon phone? It’s already unlocked so just popping the TMobile sim should t be a problem right?
They modified the original Qualcomm chip to remove those gigabit LTE antennas, which is sad because Qualcomm has a chip capable of gigabit speeds.
A bit off topic, but does anyone know if using Qualcom Modem in AT&T iPhone will inhibit AT&T's HD Voice. Read something about Apple disabling Ultra HD on Qualcom modems. Not sure if that even connects in any way to AT&T HD Voice.
BTW, thanks for this thread OP--
BTW, thanks for this thread OP--
I just know HD Voice was disabled on iPhone 7 for everybody because Intel had no such capability at the time. Though on AT&T and Verizon websites, they say iPhone 8 and X support HD Voice, so both carriers support HD Voice on their respective phones. The question now is whether AT&T HD Voice would work on Verizon's or if Apple would have restricted that only to CDMA carriers, which seems like a strange move.
The Qualcom Snapdragon x16 is gigabit
Would love an answer to this question. How do you even know if you are using HD voice? I know you can turn voLTE from the cellular menu under settings. And wifi calling is still there on the Verizon phone using AT&T service.
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Bump
So, I can hear the difference on calls between two iphone 7 users on some networks up in the city. It's just clear, not background etc, sounds more like wifi calling but over cellular. I'm assuming that is an HD voice call. But other than that, I've never seen an indicator.
Thank you for doing it and posting the result. I wasn't 100% sure I didn't waste my time waiting in line Friday to get a VZW model when my TMob phone was on the UPS truck for delivery, but those results speak for themselves. Intel had a few wins but overall looks like VZW model wins the cup.
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Yes. Same phone.
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If you go to a brick and mortar Apple Store, yes. Online, no. I bought one in-store. Put your TMob SIM in before you power on your phone for the first time. Works great. It's what I did.
now i feel so much better for getting the verizon model this year. knew i had ****** connection w the t-mo 7+.So after reading a lot of articles from reddit posts and articles to forum posts claiming how if your on T-Mobile and AT&T, getting the Verizon model is better because Qualcomm is better, faster, better battery life, etc. I wanted to see for myself how the two compare and determine whether the Verizon or T-Mobile one is better. Hope this helps everyone out with the exact same question and issue as me! Conclusion after the pretty graphs, more about the setup of the experiment and aggregated data/averages below that. (as an aside, I think this is the longest starting post in any thread I've ever created)
If anyone else has tests and observations they would like to share that you notice from these results, please share!
Pretty Results Up Top (Graphs), 11 Rounds Total, names of each round on left side
Download Summary: Qualcomm beats out T-Mobile/Intel on 8 rounds. Intel wins 3 rounds.
Download Winner: Qualcomm
Ping Summary: Qualcomm beats out T-Mobile/Intel on 7 rounds. Intel wins 3 rounds. Qualcomm is tied with Intel in one round.
Ping Winner: Qualcomm
Upload Speed Summary: Intel wins 8 rounds. Qualcomm beats out T-Mobile/Intel on 3 rounds.
Upload Speed Winner: Intel
Conclusion
I'm leaning towards keeping the Verizon/Qualcomm iPhone X and return the T-Mobile iPhone X because:
1) I think Download Speed and Ping are more important than the Upload Speed.
2) The max and min download speeds (though I don't explicitly include in the post of the Qualcomm when it wins are almost always higher than the min and max of the Intel.
3) T-Mobile dropped cellular data/internet connection in the middle of testing one of the cases and pulling up a web browser didn't work either. Connecting to Wifi, then disabling Wifi did not work either, but after taking the sim out and putting it back in after a minute or two, it started working again. The Verizon did not have such connection issues running through the 11 rounds (each round with 3-6 trials, mostly 5-6 for the majority) I had put it through. Even though it happened once on the Intel, I can confidently say from personal testing, the Qualcomm is more stable, even though it happened on the Intel only one time throughout my tests.
Though I didn't capture any data on battery life, from my observations, after running through the morning rounds, battery life appeared to remain at a 5% decrease on both devices, and measuring some battery life at the end of each round, the battery life appeared to decrease at about the same rate. Others can probably perform some further studies, but I have not been able to conclude that one is more power hungry than the other (at least not to any noticeable degree).
What do you think? Do you think otherwise based on the results? Do high upload speeds matter to you?
Tools Used
iPhone X T-Mobile
iPhone X Verizon
T-Mobile Sim (same Sim and Service used for each and every test)
SpeedTest Server Locations
I used 3 different servers, for the purposes of being anonymous, I am not going to specify which ones they are, but they have the following characteristics:
Server A: Closest to my location in the same state and city
Server B: Slightly close to my location in a neighboring state
Server C: Farthest from my location in another state
Rounds / Times of Test
Each comparison between Verizon/Qualcomm vs T-Mobile/Intel on a single server is a Round. Each Round is an average of 3-6 trial runs at 3 different times in the day (Morning, Afternoon, and Evening). While one phone is being tested, the other is in standby with display off.
Setting Up Experiment
Setup
- Started up both phones, installed Ookla SpeedTest app.
- Auto-Brightness Disabled in iOS 11
- Disable Wifi
- Shut down both phones
- Start up both phones
- Launch Ookla SpeedTest app
Runs
- I manually select Server A, B, or C
- Hit the start/run test button
- Repeat n times for each server
- Whenever I start a new time “Morning/Afternoon/Night” I shut down the phones and restart from a clean slate.
- I swap the sim into the other phone after each Round of testing
Note that whenever I switch the sim card into the other phone and perform the tests, I make sure the phone is put in the exact same location as the previous phone. (Not that it would make much of a difference, but I did it anyway just to keep things constant).
Results of Each Round
During The Morning
Round 1
T-Mobile Server A
Avg Download: 12.744
Avg Upload: 23.776
Avg Ping: 34.8
Verizon Server A
Avg Download: 6.66
Avg Upload:2.784
Avg Ping: 34.8
Round 1 Results:
The Verizon/Qualcomm lost badly on all fronts except for ping, which is tied. T-Mobile wins.
Round 2
T-Mobile Server B
Avg Download: 13.046
Avg Upload: 13.046
Avg Ping: 37.4
Verizon Server B
Avg Download: 9.38
Avg Upload: 1.478
Avg Ping: 37.2
Round 2 Results:
The Verizon loses yet again miserably to T-Mobile and barely wins on ping.
Round 3
T-Mobile Server C
Avg Download: 5.46
Avg Upload: 14.773
Avg Ping: 51
Verizon Server C
Avg Download: 48.33
Avg Upload: 19.45
Avg Ping: 48.33
Round 3 Results:
With the far off server, Verizon takes the lead and obliterates T-Mobile on all fronts!
Round 4
T-Mobile Server A Rematch
Avg Download: 14.71
Avg Upload: 18.62
Avg Ping: 33.33
Verizon Server A Rematch
Avg Download: 14.87
Avg Upload: 27.43
Avg Ping: 37.33
Round 4 Results:
Qualcomm crushes Intel on download speed, and obliterates Intel on all fronts!
Morning Summary:
Out of 4 rounds, the Verizon/Qualcomm model performed better on the download speeds on the latter 2 rounds, the T-Mobile/Intel won the first two. Qualcomm seems to perform better on the "far off" Server C compared to T-Mobile. There is some variability, as in Server A, the Qualcomm lost the first round, and won the rematch.
Afternoon
Round 5
T-Mobile Server A
Avg Download: 14.894
Avg Upload: 23.146
Avg Ping: 36.4
Min-Max Download: 12.11 – 16.48
Min-Max Upload: 21.93-25.69
Verizon Server A
Avg Download: 15.73
Avg Upload: 18.11
Avg Ping: 34.6
Min-Max Download: 11.22 - 17.68
Min-Max Upload: 12.24 - 20.81
Round 5 Results:
Qualcomm had the higher average download speed, though T-Mobile was better on the upload. The max download was higher on the Verizon/Qualcomm.
Round 6
T-Mobile Server B
Avg Download: 11.33
Avg Upload: 19.25
Avg Ping: 38
Max-Min Download: 6.03 - 18.2
Max-Min Upload: 18.64 – 19.61
Verizon Server B
Avg Download: 7.152
Avg Upload: 2.25
Avg Ping: 36.8
Min-Max Download: 5.35 - 9.27
Min-Max Upload: 1.99-2.58
Round 6 Results:
No contest. T-Mobile wins Server B. Verizon wins on average ping.
Round 7
T-Mobile Server B Rematch
Avg Download: 11.692
Avg Upload: 22.718
Avg Ping: 34.2
Verizon Server B Rematch
Avg Ping: 34.6
Avg Download: 15.736
Avg Upload: 17.95
Round 7 Results:
Verizon outperformed the T-Mobile version for download speeds, though T-Mobile beats out Verizon in upload speed. Verizon was barely slower for average ping, but only by 0.2.
Round 8
T-Mobile Server C
Avg Download: 12.608
Avg Upload: 23.614
Avg Ping:44.8
Verizon Server C
Avg Download: 18.208
Avg Upload: 12.104
Avg Ping:47.2
Results of Round 8:
Verizon beat out T-Mobile in download speeds significantly. T-Mobile won on upload speeds by almost double!
Evening
Round 9
T-Mobile Server A
Avg Download: 10.671
Avg Upload: 22.68
Avg Ping: 33.5
Min-Max Download: 5.58 - 14.12
Min-Max Upload: 19.28 - 24.33
Verizon Server A
Avg Download: 15.20
Avg Upload: 17.97
Avg Ping: 32.67
Min-Max Download: 11.74-18.87
Min-Max Upload: 9.43-21.67
Results of Round 9:
Qualcomm wins out again on download and ping, but loses wins on upload speed!
Round 10
T-Mobile Server B
Avg Download: 10.01
Avg Upload: 16.18
Avg Ping: 37.86
Min-Max Download: 4.79-15.00
Min-Max Upload: 1.09-24.06
Verizon Server B
Avg Download: 18.90
Avg Upload: 19.92
Avg Ping: 36.14
Min-Max Download: 14.31-24.02
Round 10 Results:
Verizon wins in all categories, and beat out T-Mobile severely on download this time. It even wins on upload speeds too! The minimums and maximums are higher on Verizon too!
Round 11
T-Mobile Server C
Avg Download: 13.12
Avg Upload: 23.97
Avg Ping: 50.67
Min-Max Download: 10.48-17.91
Verizon Server C
Avg Download: 18.51
Avg Upload: 15.326
Min-Max Download: 14.37 - 21.04
Round 11 Results:
Qualcomm wins out on ping, and crushes Intel on download speed, and beat out Intel severely on download again. Intel makes a comeback with a vengeance on the upload speed.
Congratulations and thank you for reading to the end! Post what you think! Let me know if you have any questions!
How difficult was that exchange? Did you have to activate the Verizon phone on a verizon line before leaving the store? Had you already used your T-Mobile phone? I'd prefer Verizon too but they don't usually let you buy one without activating it (I had to activate my Verizon 7+ on Verizon first before moving it over to my T-Mobile line.)I initially pre ordered the T-Mobile version but exchanged it at the Apple store for the Verizon model
Easiest and pain free way is to wait for Apple to release the factory unlocked version.
Otherwise, your only choice at the Apple store is to do a walk-in and request the Verizon/Sprint version. You do not need to provide an account in person when purchasing full price.
I don't work for Qualcomm though I am a techie, I know there is a lot of variability in cellular network traffic. I don't have the $$$ for specialized equipment or the time and means to get a ton of more data to draw hard conclusions, but I wanted hard enough data to draw enough of a semblance of a conclusion for myself. There are too many variables, but I keep what I can constant. I think there is enough data for me to make a decision to lean towards the iPhone I'll be sticking with for myself, and I want everyone else who stumbles on this themselves to help them out too.
I don't want angst from anybody looking at these results that will cause Apple to slow down the Qualcomm modem further, but given posts like this for the iPhone 8:
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/09/28/iphone-8-cellular-bandwidth-tests/
I am certain someone else will do this kind of analysis if I hadn't at some point in time. I can't wait for that. I needed something quicker and reading multiple threads and posts that seem to lean one way or another without any data makes me cringe and want to see for myself what it really was at the time I tested.
I am just a consumer that wants to make as good of a decision as I can with no regrets.
If others have the time to do some tests like this or have access to more expensive equipment, please share results!
First of all, great post. You have been posting A LOT lately. This by far is my favorite post. I recommend putting a TL;DR @the bottom of your OP. As you stated, it is incredibly long. Even I skipped some parts. That being said, thank you for taking the time to do something like this. Wasn’t like it was a 10 second trick. You had to invest some time and effort. Lastly, I want to reiterate what I said to you in a different post days ago. As a T-Mobile customer, you’re not missing out on anything going with the T-Mobile X variant. T is GSM. Most carriers internationally are GSM. Compatibility will be plenty. However, from a FLEXIBILITY standpoint, the 1865 models (Verizon AND Sprint model) are superior. They contain every GSM band plus those of the CDMA variety. Verizon and Sprint use the exact same model, but with a different included sim. (I returned my T-Mobile model and purchased a Sprint one on Saturday). Someone said space gray is the best. I have to politely disagree. Lol These silver models with its cloudy white back and lustrous stainless steel band are the bee’s knees.
(I pre-ordered SG btw. Silver was calling me tho)
If your on att or T-Mobile and want to use the Apple upgrade program Your sol. You need to plot down 1250 at once.
Any chance you could elaborate? Haha. I imagine for now the hardest part will be getting to an Apple store when they have a Verizon model in stock...
Nice collection of data! Did you happen to collect signal strength or number of signal bars during each run? I'm curious how the Qualcomm and Intel configs behave in a low signal environment. (Wondering if either one is better at pulling in a signal when you are in a limited reception area.)
I'm interested in this as well -- that's apparently the situation when Qualcomm performs better