New Silicon, New Speeds: Comparing Apple’s N1 with Android Flagships for Wi-Fi Performance
In 2025, Wi-Fi has taken center stage in smartphone innovation, shifting focus from cellular advancements. Apple's launch of its first custom networking chip, the N1, with the iPhone 17 family highlights this change. Meanwhile, Android flagships have pushed forward with Wi-Fi 7 and 6 GHz support, enabled by 320 MHz channels.
The significance of Wi-Fi speed and reliability in daily use, combined with diverse device designs, has intensified competition among manufacturers for superior networking chips.
Performance Comparison Using Speedtest Intelligence® Data
Using global crowdsourced data from Speedtest Intelligence®, collected during the six weeks following the iPhone 17’s release (September 19 to October 29, 2025), Apple’s N1 chip was compared to its predecessor based on Broadcom silicon, alongside top Android flagships equipped with Wi-Fi chips from Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Broadcom.
The analysis covers all devices within each family and highlights the advancements Apple has made by bringing more wireless components in-house.
"The arrival of the N1 marks the next ambitious step in Apple’s multi-year plan to bring the last major piece of the iPhone’s wireless stack in-house."
Devices Included in the Analysis
- iPhone 17 family with Apple’s N1 chip
- Previous iPhone models with Broadcom-based Wi-Fi chips
- Android flagships featuring Wi-Fi 7-capable silicon from Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Broadcom
This comprehensive comparison uses real-world data to showcase how Apple’s new silicon performs against established Android competitors.
Author’s summary: Apple's N1 chip in the iPhone 17 family represents a significant step in Wi-Fi innovation, closing the gap with Android flagships that utilize advanced Wi-Fi 7 technologies.
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