Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Android Phones Smoke Intel-Equipped iPhones In LTE Speedtest Benchmarks
According to the analysis using user-submitted results to Ookla's Speedtest connectivity benchmark collected during Q2 2018, Android smartphones equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor and complementary Snapdragon X20 LTE modem are completely dominating the boards when it comes to latency and overall LTE speeds compared to their competitors.
Qualcomm doesn't call out Apple by name with the test results, but it's not too hard to read between the lines. The company's references "Intel XMM 7480 and 7360 modems in non-Android smartphones", which no doubt means select variants of the iPhone 7, iPhone 8, and iPhone X. The AT&T/T-Mobile iPhone 7 uses the Intel XMM 7360 LTE modem, while the iPhone 8/iPhone X uses the Intel XMM 7480.
According to Ookla's numbers, there were up to double-digit gains in latency with the Snapdragon X20 versus the Intel modems and up to triple-digit gains with respect to upload and download speeds when testing was conducted on AT&T and T-Mobile wireless networks. Qualcomm also used the data to rip Apple in reference to the iPhone X's price tag (again, without even mentioning Apple by name).
"Whether they’re uploading, downloading, surfing, or streaming, smartphone users expect the best possible wireless experience," writes Qualcomm. "This isn’t surprising given they’re asked to pay up to $1,000 for a device. Having this kind of data can help them make informed smartphone purchasing decisions."
It should be pointed out that these results aren't exactly surprising. Back in late 2017, it was reported that iPhone X units equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE modem far outpaced their Intel XMM 7480 counterparts in download throughput, especially in weak signal situations.
