Despite there being an ongoing legal battle between iPhone and Qualcomm, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 modem is present in many of the newer iPhone models. Strangely, there are also a decent amount of new iPhones that feature the Intel XMM7480. With different modems, it would make sense that one of the two would perform at least slightly better. But by how much? The result of this iPhone X Qualcomm vs Intel Modem showdown may surprise you.
iPhone X Qualcomm vs Intel Modem Testing
The two modems were tested by Cellular Insights, who used professional equipment to test the LTE speeds of both models. They started with a strong LTE signal of -85dBm, and then gradually reduced the power to simulate the phone moving further away from the cellphone tower until each phone lost the signal completely. According to the results, Qualcomm comes out on top. The Intel modem showed reduced performance almost immediately after moving away from the signal.
The difference between performance in the two models isn’t drastic to begin with, but the Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 modem performs far better in poor signal quality. If you find yourself in a low coverage area, the difference between an iPhone X Qualcomm vs Intel modem is definitely noticeable.
Which Device Do You Have?
Apple offers both devices in every country where the new iPhones are sold, except for Japan. In the United States, which modem you’re using is going to depend largely on the cellphone carrier you use. Sprint and Verizon have access to the A1865 model, which uses the Qualcomm modem. AT&T and T-Mobile, on the other hand, use the A1901 model, which uses the Intel modem.
The A1865 is the most powerful version of the iPhone X, but depending on your carrier you may not have access to it. While both phones are certainly powerful and exceptionally capable, you’ll definitely notice a difference in signal quality when coverage is sparse.
It’s unfortunate that there’s such a difference between the two modems, and it’s a questionable decision by Apple to utilize a slower modem in a good portion of their phones. With a decent amount of variance between two phones that are supposedly the same, it’s possible that many customers won’t have the full experience that a luxury device like the iPhone X has to offer.
If you’re not sure which model you’re using, you can check by going to Settings > General > About > Legal > Regulatory on the iOS device itself.
