Pixel 7 Pro and Tensor G2’s improved modem beat out iPhone in speed test

Ben Schoon | Apr 18 2023 - 5:45 am PT

Google’s first Tensor-powered smartphones had an unfortunate downside in their modem, which often made cellular connections unreliable or slower than on other phones. With the Pixel 7 series and Tensor G2, though, Google made big improvements to the modem, as is proven by the Pixel 7 Pro outranking the iPhone 14 Pro in a speed test report.

Ookla, the company behind the Speed Test app you might have installed, this week posted its breakdown of Q1 2023 speed test results in the United States. The report found that mobile devices in the US get an average of 81 Mbps download and 9.4 Mbps upload, with T-Mobile typically providing the fastest speeds in the country.

The report goes on to compare some of the most popular phones in the US based on their speed tests and found that, unsurprisingly, Samsung’s latest devices top the charts. The Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 4, equipped with Qualcomm’s latest modems, managed median download speeds of 161 Mbps and 143 Mbps, respectively, with 16 Mbps and 13.6 Mbps upload. Just behind those devices, though, was Google’s Pixel 7 Pro.

The Pixel 7 Pro managed a median download speed of 132.57 Mbps and 15.31 Mbps up. That’s a bit behind Samsung and Qualcomm’s performance overall, but not by much, which is impressive given the continued use of a Samsung-provided modem in both Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.

But more important here is that Google managed to beat out the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which hit 130.99 Mbps down and 14.47 Mbps up. It’s not a major difference, but it’s certainly noteworthy, especially as Apple also uses Qualcomm-built modems. In last year’s Q1 findings, Ookla didn’t mention the Pixel 6 series ranking within the top five.

We found in a test last year that the modem in Tensor G2 was a marked improvement over what was attached to the original Tensor chip and said that the improved cellular performance alone was a major reason to look at Google’s newer phones. The same modem is set to be used on the upcoming Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, and this year’s Pixel 8 series.