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Apple’s New N1 Wireless Chip Reportedly Rivals Android Flagships in Real World Wi Fi Speeds

Apple’s New N1 Wireless Chip Reportedly Rivals Android Flagships in Real-World Wi-Fi Speeds

Apple introduced the N1 wireless networking chip with the iPhone 17 series and the iPhone Air.

Written by Akash Dutta, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 19 November 2025 12:39 IST

Apple’s New N1 Wireless Chip Reportedly Rivals Android Flagships in Real-World Wi-Fi Speeds

Apple’s N1 reportedly supports only up to 160 MHz channels, not the full 320 MHz bandwidth

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Highlights

The N1 chip replaces the Broadcom-sourced processors
Ookla says the N1 chip’s performance in the 10th percentile is strong
The chipset also offers comparable speeds to Android flagships

Apple introduced the new N1 wireless networking chip with the iPhone 17 series and the iPhone Air in September. The company's in-house chipset replaced the Broadcom-provided processors. At launch, the Cupertino-based tech giant had promised improvements in reliability and power efficiency. Now, a new report has tested the chipset against Android flagships, such as the Google Pixel 10 series, Samsung Galaxy S25 series, and the Xiaomi 15T to determine where its performance stands.

Apple's N1 Goes Neck-to-Neck With Android Flagships

According to crowdsourced data from Ookla, Apple's N1 wireless networking chip delivers a big performance boost when compared to the iPhone 16 series, as well as the current Android counterparts. Notably, the N1 is Apple's first fully custom networking silicon and integrates support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, a protocol often used for smart-home devices.

Ookla analysed Speedtest Intelligence data collected over six weeks following the launch of iPhones running the N1. Compared to the Broadcom-based wireless chip in the iPhone 16 series, it was found that devices with the N1 show up to 40 percent higher median download and upload speeds globally.

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What's more interesting is how the N1 seems to improve consistency, not just peak speeds. According to the data, users in more challenging Wi-Fi environments, for example, with weaker signal strength, saw some of the biggest gains. The 10th percentile (roughly the “worst-case” user experience) on the N1-powered iPhone devices was more than 60 percent faster than the equivalent percentile on the iPhone 16.

Against Android flagships, the N1-powered iPhone 17 devices reportedly hold their ground well. For instance, Google's Pixel 10 Pro recorded the highest global median download speed at 335.33 Mbps, narrowly edging out the iPhone 17 family's 329.56 Mbps in Ookla's dataset. However, at the 10th percentile, the iPhone 17 reportedly outperformed the Pixel 10 Pro, with 56.08 Mbps vs. 53.25 Mbps, suggesting Apple's chip better manages weaker network conditions.

Some Android phones still lead in other areas. For example, Xiaomi's 15T Pro, powered by a MediaTek Wi-Fi solution, is said to deliver particularly strong upload performance and low latency. In contrast, Huawei's Pura 80 family lags somewhat in peak performance due to its lack of 6GHz support in some markets.

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Interestingly, Apple's N1 reportedly supports only up to 160MHz channels, not the full 320MHz width that is part of the Wi-Fi 7 standard. On paper, that could limit the maximum theoretical speeds, but as per Ookla's data, that restriction “does not materially affect performance in real-world use for most people.” The implication is that Apple's tuning, hardware integration, and perhaps intelligent radio management are compensating for the narrower channel bandwidth.

In North America, where 320MHz-capable Wi-Fi 7 routers are more common, the iPhone 17 series still managed a median download speed of 416.14 Mbps and a 90th-percentile download speed of 976.39 Mbps, according to the report.

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For the end users, this means the iPhone 17 series and the new Air model will deliver higher reliability and better performance in weaker Wi-Fi zones. This means fewer dropouts in crowded homes or during long video calls. Additionally, smarter radio management will also ensure better battery efficiency.

iPhone 17

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Transformative and brighter ProMotion display
Powerful performance
Meaningful camera upgrades
More value-for-money
Great battery life

Bad
iOS 26 has glitches
Ineffective anti-reflective coating

Read detailed Apple iPhone 17 review

Display 6.30-inch

Processor Apple A19

Front Camera 18-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 26

Resolution 1206x2622 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Xiaomi 15T Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.83-inch

Processor MediaTek Dimensity 9400+

Front Camera 32-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 12GB

Storage 256GB

Battery Capacity 5500mAh

OS Android

Resolution 1280x2772 pixels

More Xiaomi mobiles Xiaomi mobiles price in India

Google Pixel 10 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.30-inch

Front Camera 42-megapixel

Rear Camera 50-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel

RAM 16GB

Storage 256GB

Battery Capacity 4870mAh

OS Android 16

Resolution 1280x2856 pixels

More Google mobiles Google mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Apple, iPhone 17 series, iPhone Air, Android, Google Pixel 10 Pro, Xiaomi 15T, N1 chip, Wi-Fi

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Chief Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More