Testing shows Apple N1 Wi-Fi chip improves on older Broadcom chips in every way

In a significant advancement for Apple’s technology, the latest iPhone models have debuted with the Apple N1 chip, marking a pivotal shift in the company's approach to wireless connectivity. This innovative chip is tailored for local wireless communications and supports the latest standards, including Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and the Thread protocol for smart homes. With the N1, Apple moves away from relying on third-party chips, primarily from Broadcom, to enhance its devices’ connectivity. Although Apple touted the N1’s potential for improved reliability in features like AirPlay and AirDrop, it didn’t provide specific performance metrics. To fill this gap, Ookla, the company behind the well-known SpeedTest app, conducted a detailed analysis over five weeks, comparing the iPhone 17 series with its predecessor, the iPhone 16, and various Android devices equipped with Wi-Fi chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek. The results were promising for Apple. While the N1 chip did not claim the top spot in overall performance, it demonstrated superior download and upload speeds compared to the iPhone 16 across a range of performance percentiles and geographic locations. Specifically, the median download speed for the iPhone 17 series reached an impressive 329.56 Mbps, a notable increase from the 236.46 Mbps recorded with the iPhone 16. Additionally, upload speeds saw a boost from 73.68 Mbps to 103.26 Mbps. Interestingly, Ookla highlighted that the N1 chip excelled particularly in the lower performance brackets, suggesting that Apple’s custom silicon enhances baseline connectivity levels more effectively than maximum performance. However, despite these advancements, the iPhone 17 did not dominate the global performance rankings, with the Pixel 10 Pro series pulling ahead in download speeds and the Xiaomi 15T Pro outpacing in upload speeds.