Apple spent a lot of time talking about the new iPhone 16 Pro models during the It's Glowtime event. The company didn't talk about the 5G modem, though, which is surprising because it looks like a substantial upgrade over the one found in the iPhone 15 Pro, according to the first round of network tests.
The tests, performed by SpeedSmart (via 9To5Mac), found that the iPhone 16 Pro offers up to 26% faster 5G download speeds than the previous generation. The speed results vary by carrier, but even the slowest of the big three networks got a sizable speed bump thanks to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max's Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem.
"Both T-Mobile and Verizon show strong network performance with the new iPhone, reaching average download speeds of over 400 Mbps. These speeds are likely to improve further as T-Mobile’s 5G UC and Verizon’s UW coverage continue to expand.
AT&T also shows a healthy 25.7% increase in 5G download speeds with the new iPhone," said SpeedSmart.
Upload speeds also improved in the tests, enabling faster connectivity for the Pro models. "Additionally, the Snapdragon X75 modem has made notable improvements in upload speeds, an often overlooked but important metric. Across all three networks, upload speeds have increased by 22.1%, with average speeds now comfortably over 30 Mbps," reads the SpeedSmart report.
Unfortunately, the iPhone 16 is thought to be using the older Qualcomm X70 modem, though Apple hasn't confirmed which Qualcomm modem is running the budget-friendly iPhone models. We've contacted the company to confirm which modems are in the phones and will update this piece if we hear more.
While Apple currently uses Qualcomm 5G modems in its phones, industry analysts have suggested the company is working on an in-house device to replace them. This makes sense, as the company already offers its own A-series processors. It would be logical to avoid using third-party modems to completely lock the iPhone devices into Apple's hardware.
Once we get the iPhone 16 Pro models in for review, we can thoroughly test the connectivity, but the speeds sound promising based on this early test. In the meantime, check out our initial impressions in our iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max hands-on review.
More from Tom's Guide
- iPhone 16 has a secret charging upgrade — here’s what you need to know
- iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro cameras — all the new upgrades explained
- Two of the iPhone 16's video features could be coming to older iPhones via iOS 18
