Ookla’s latest analysis has revealed that Apple’s custom N1 networking chip is setting new standards in smartphone connectivity, outperforming key rivals in real-world scenarios. Integrated within the iPhone 17 lineup, the N1 combines Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread radios, offering both higher efficiency and more stable performance across a variety of network conditions.
According to Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence data, the iPhone 17 series achieved median Wi-Fi speeds up to 40 percent faster than those recorded on the iPhone 16 family, which used a Broadcom chip. In tougher signal environments, Apple’s N1 chip maintained impressive consistency, with speeds that were 60 percent higher at the 10th percentile, marking a major step forward in network reliability.
Despite supporting only 160MHz channels rather than the full 320MHz capacity available in Wi-Fi 7, the N1 delivered faster real-world speeds for users. This performance suggests that Apple’s network optimizations and antenna engineering are compensating for the hardware specification gap, ensuring that iPhone 17 owners experience minimal drop-offs during streaming, gaming, and large file transfers.
In North America, where Wi-Fi 7 is more widely adopted, the iPhone 17 lineup also outperformed leading Android flagships such as Google’s Pixel 10 and Samsung’s Galaxy S25. With median Wi-Fi download speeds surpassing 416 Mbps and peak speeds nearing 976 Mbps, Apple’s new phones managed to maintain a competitive edge even when using narrower frequency channels.
Analysts believe Apple’s in-house networking silicon marks a strategic move toward greater hardware independence, similar to what the company achieved with its A-series and M-series chips. The N1’s success highlights Apple’s growing expertise in radio integration and could pave the way for broader innovations in wireless performance, smart home connectivity, and future AR or spatial computing applications.
