There are reports that Apple has deliberately limited or throttled Verizon’s LTE capabilities for the iPhone 7. This has been done in order to make the smartphone similar for various carriers.
Steering clear off iPhone 7
Those who are in search of the fastest smartphone on Verizon should keep away from the iPhone 7. News from researchers of the Twin Prime Incorporation and Cellular Insights has claimed that Apple is deliberately throttling the iPhone 7 in the Verizon network.
Huge Difference in Speed
The same researchers have also offered information to Bloomberg, stating that the S7 from Samsung Galaxy has double the speed of the iPhone 7, on the Verizon network. The conclusion was made after analyzing and getting data from about 100,000 smartphones downloading a big image. The difference in the speed is present, in spite of the fact that both the S7 and the iPhone 7 are using the same advanced modem of Qualcomm X12.
Limiting its Own Phone
It is weird that Apple is attempting to throttle or limit its own phone. The reason could be that the company wants consistency in the performance of the iPhone devices across carriers. As far as AT&T is concerned, the iPhone 7 makes use of an Intel LTE modem, which is slower and capable of only 450 MBs a second, where as the Verizon wireless has a maximum capacity of 600 Mbps, at least theoretically. Verizon makes use of a X12 modem.
Apple’s Statement
Apple has not denied that it is attempting to throttle the speed on its own device. The company has informed Bloomberg that in case of both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, all standards of the company have been exceeded. According to the Apple spokesperson, there is not much difference in the wireless capabilities of any of its versions of the iPhone 7. This might be true, as Apple is only talking of iPhone 7 devices that are available for different networks. However, the difference in the wireless capability is seen between the iPhone 7 and mobile handsets of other manufacturers.
Follow Up Details
Later, sources have informed Recode that the company, Apple, has tried to limit the modem of Verizon for iPhone 7 devices. This has been done in order to maintain similarity between all the iPhone 7 devices connected to different wireless networks. Apple seems to have another reason for doing this, which is to make good the savings that it has made by making use of two different chip suppliers.
Performance Comparison
The 4G LTE is just one aspect to consider when comparing the performance of a smartphone. There are other important aspects to consider as well, such as the camera of the phone, the battery life, its overall speed and so on. However, it is also important that the user gets the maximum advantage of the Verizon network. This is more so as the cost of Verizon’s plans is more when compared to the cost of the competitors.