Has anyone else been experiencing horrendous data speeds with their iPhone XS? I only ask because this was the first model shipped with an Intel modem, amd compared to my 6S this is nowhere near as fast or reliable over 4G and LTE.
7, 8 / X All had a version with Intel Modem. XS is, however the first model to ship only with Intel Modem.
I don't think it has horrendous Data Speed. But it is certainly has a different characteristics to Qualcomm Modem. XS is generally weaker with signals, and we are not quite sure if it was the 4x4 MIMO or the Intel Modem. XR doesn't seems to be as bad so a guess would be due to Apple's implementation of 4x4 Antenna. While ALL phones had problems with 4x4 Antenna in their first generation, that includes Samsung and Huawei, you generally expect Apple, being a year late to the tech would have ironed out most of it.
But generally speaking, a Qualcomm Modem would still get better signal than Intel. This is especially a problem in US where the Cell Tower Density is lower as compared to Asia / EU counterpart.
There has also been 3 to 4 Modem Firmware revision since launch, and likely more to come in iOS 12.2, let just hope ( pray ) Intel's next Modem 7660 is actually better. And Apple could actually put a rounding error budget into their Antenna Design, because as far as Flagship Smartphone is concerned, iPhone has the worst one.
Or Qualcomm will relent and work with Apple again, but judging from the Court testimony this seems highly unlikely.
AFAIK there is still a sensitivity and LTE capability gap between Qualcomm and Intel.
Kind of sad Apple doesn't think that's worth the extra ~$10 or so on a $1000 phone.
I believe cost is only one part of the reason. The much more important part is, I think, control.
It was my understanding that when Apple started using both Intel and Qualcomm modems that Qualcomm started telling Apple they would have to pay "full price" for patent licensing on the Intel modems, and things deteriorated.
Qualcomm...
Yeah, no.
????
in·de·pend·ent·ly
/ˌindəˈpendəntlē/
adverb
1. in a way that is free from outside control or influence.
2. without outside help; unaided.
We all know ho paid for it, so you can keep repeating whatever you want.
It appears the site is run by Milan Milanović, who works for Ookla. He writes extensively on wired and wireless networks.
It's Qualcomm propaganda, like it or not.
I am surprised there hasn't been more buzz about the degraded antenna performance by the public.
I certainly noticed when I switched from my iPhone X to a Pixel 3 XL. I went to known dead spots, and my Pixel 3 worked just fine. I had just chalked it up to T-Mobile sucking but I guess it was really the phone.
I know where the attenaes are placed versus where your hand is placed can block signal. But is this a similar case, or just a limitation of the tech? I mean 5G uses higher wavelengths, which inherently penetrate weeker into structures, etc. So: what's the problem? I only briefly studied antennae theory in college and have never practiced in theory, so I hope its viewed as an honest question.
It was a very common complaint in youtube and reddit comments anytime a review was posted.