Qualcomm beats out Intel to give faster speeds on Samsung phones than Apple devices

It's no secret that internet speeds in India are slower than the rest of the world. And that is all the more reason for users to expect better speeds when they invest in an iPhone over other smartphone brands.

But despite tall claims of sporting the fastest processors, the latest insight by Ookla shows that isn't the case. Apple Inc.'s rivals, Samsung Electronics Co. and Alphabet Inc. shell out faster speeds in comparison.

Considering that most phones look, more or less, the same on the outside, manufacturers are using hardware as the differentiating factor between devices. And the main component in that is the modem chips than come on the chipsets.

While Apple uses Intel modems, Samsung and Pixel phones come equipped with Qualcomm modems. Devices like the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the whopping ₹108,000 iPhone X, all lag behind in speed.

Ookla's report shows that Qualcomm has modems that are 53% faster while dealing with average download speeds and 103% faster when it comes to dealing with low connectivity areas.

And, it's not just the modem alone. Another determinant is how well the software of the phone is optimised to maximise hardware utility.

Impact

Let's be honest. When users are browsing the internet, they aren't going to notice the biggest difference in load times. The impact of speeds clicks in when videos have to be loaded or a song has to be pulled up.

That being said, the difference in speeds hasn't particularly impacted Apple sales globally. It still is one the best-reviewed smartphones in the world, even though the company is yet to make a heavy impact in the Indian smartphone market.

Right now most users are focused on 3G connectivity and 4G LTE speeds, but once 5G rolls out, it will be true test of how smartphones can apply that to their technology.