Shortly after the iPhone 14 launched last fall, network intelligence firm Ookla shared the results of its Q3 2022 Speedtest Intelligence report. According to that report, the iPhone 14 Pro Max had the highest download speeds of any smartphone on the market. The iPhone 14 Pro sat just behind its more expensive sibling in second place. Three months later, Apple lost the crown, as two Android devices overtook the iPhone 14 Pro Max in Ookla’s Q4 report.
Ookla’s Q4 report found that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Google’s Pixel 7 Pro had the fastest median download speeds among the most popular devices in the US.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 had a median download speed of 147.25 Mbps, while the Pixel 7 Pro came in second at 137.11 Mbps. The iPhone 14 Pro Max fell to third at 133.84 Mbps, and the iPhone 14 Pro was just a few megabits behind at 130.14 Mbps.
Ookla also examined the combined performance of the cell phone makers and reported Samsung devices had the fastest median download speeds at 79.43 Mbps. Apple fell behind at 72.62 Mbps, but both of the manufacturers came in significantly faster than in Q3. Last quarter, Samsung took the top spot at just 65.94 Mbps, while Apple came up a bit short at 62.49 Mbps.
As 9to5Mac notes, the median download speeds of the iPhone 14 Pro Max dropped by nearly 14 Mbps. Presumably, median speeds have decreased as sales of the iPhone 14 Pro Max extend to areas with worse coverage from cell networks. Even as download speeds have increased across the board, the popularity of the iPhone 14 Pro models may negatively impact median speeds as consumers from all over the country upgrade to the new models.
Nevertheless, it’s an interesting data point to track to see how 5G download speeds are changing as the technology becomes more widespread.
