One of the small but noticeable changes to the iPhone 15 Pro is the move to a new Qualcomm X70 modem for improved 5G performance. As it turns out, this change also applies to the entry-level iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus.
This change was confirmed by iFixit's Shahram Mokhtari on Twitter, who noted the importance of this change. “Apple didn't just add last year's Pro logic cards to this year's base models,” Mokhtari wrote. “They've been modernized too.”
Mokhtari continued:
This also shows that Apple's base models aren't just younger siblings always receiving last year's gifts . -falls. There seems to be a genuine desire to keep components on motherboards up to date, even though it requires additional resources.
This means iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are equipped with a Qualcomm X70 modem. This is a continuation of last year, when the entire iPhone 14 line used the Qualcomm X65 modem.
Best comment from Brandon
I noticed a difference in the way I left the house I quickly switch from Wi-Fi to cellular. Previously it took a minute or two. Now it's within 30 seconds. Also, my home, which is mostly a dead zone, can send MMS more reliably. Previously, it was almost impossible on the ground floor. I'm guessing both of these improvements are due to this modem update.
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Last month, SpeedSmart benchmark tests showed that the Qualcomm X70 modem significantly improves 5G performance. According to this data, the iPhone 15 offers 24% faster 5G speeds compared to the iPhone 14 lineup. Verizon users who upgrade to the iPhone 15 will see the biggest improvements, followed by T-Mobile and AT&T.
The Qualcomm X70 modem is also used in many flagship Android smartphones. Notably, Apple is also in the process of developing its own 5G modems, but this is expected to be a few years away. Last month, Qualcomm announced that Apple will continue to use Qualcomm 5G modems for iPhones until at least 2026.
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