iPhone 12 is slower than every major Android phone in 5G speed test, new study shows

Samsung topped the list and dominated the rankings of fastest download speeds

An iPhone 12 Pro Max pictured on 17 November 2020 (Getty Images)

Every model of Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup is slower than at least 25 Android smartphones when it comes to 4G and 5G speeds, a new study has revealed.

The report by mobile analytics firm OpenSignal showed that Samsung tops the list and dominates the rankings, making up 60 per cent of the top models tested.

By contrast, Apple users experience 5G download speeds that are roughly 18 per cent slower than Samsung phones.

The iPhone SE, which was launched alongside the iPhone 12 range last year, is also notably slower than its iPhone 11 predecessors.

“Everyone expects newer technology to be faster than what came before,” OpenSignal’s report states. “With the iPhone range, this is not always true.”

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The top performing phone was the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, which had an average download speed of 56 Mbps, followed by the $400 TCL Revvl 5G.

The average 5G download speed for all Samsung phones tested was 54Mbps, compared to 53.1Mbps for OnePlus, 52.2Mbps for Google and 47.9Mbps for LG.

Apple was the slowest major smartphone manufacturer, with average 5G download speeds of just 44.5Mbps.

The reason for Apple’s first 5G-enabled iPhone performing so poorly compared to its competitors is not immediately clear. The Independent has reached out to Apple for comment.

Opensignal analyst Ian Fogg, who authored the report, speculates that it could be a result of Apple lagging behind Android manufacturers when it comes to radio frequency (RF) design.

The report does note, however, that Apple users have seen the biggest leap in speeds in 5G areas compared to 4G areas.

“In areas where 5G is available, Apple users had overall download speeds 2.3 times faster than the iPhone users’ 4G download speeds. Among the other brands we analysed, the difference ranged from 1.7 times for LG users, to 1.4 times for OnePlus and Google users,” the report states.

“As the US moves ahead with 5G, Apple is narrowing the gap in experience with other smartphone brands.”