Data speeds: iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone 4S
Though its thinner profile and longer screen are two of the iPhone 5's top draws, I'm more interested in what's inside Apple's newest handset. Yes, after a long wait, the iPhone 5 finally adds support for 4G LTE data networks. Of course, I have to point out that a galaxy of Android phones (get it!) have long offered the feature, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful that at long last the iPhone has caught up.Editors' note: This article was originally posted September 22, 2012. We will continue to update it as we record new test results.Hands-on with the sharp, slim iPhone 5 (...See full gallery1 - 4 / 24NextPrevEarly reviewers of the iPhone 5 have already praised the big jump in data speeds from the iPhone 4S. Indeed, CNET's Scott Stein called the new data speeds "stunningly fast" in his iPhone 5 review. In his testing, AT&T's LTE network was even faster than his home Wi-Fi.Related storiesCNET's iPhone 5 reviewApple's iPhone 5: Everything you need to know (FAQ)Choosing an iPhone carrierSo, what's new? Comparing the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5iPhone 5 vs. Galaxy S3 vs. Lumia 920: By the numbersYet, you don't get the full story of LTE until you compare the iPhone 5 with its immediate predecessor, the iPhone 4S. Remember, that device topped out at 3G on Verizon and Sprint, and 3.5G on AT&T (even if AT&T tried to tell us differently). The speed boost is striking, both in CNET's anecdotal use and in the tests that we conducted. And to make things interesting, I threw in the Samsung Galaxy S3, which also runs on LTE. Now you can see for yourself just how much faster the LTE phones are.Before you get to the results, I've got a few words about how we conducted the tests. For each phone -- as a reminder, that's the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S, and the Galaxy S3 -- we conducted multiple tests using Ookla's SpeedTest.net (available free from the iTunes App Store and Google Play). Because our review devices currently are divided between the two CNET offices, we tested the Verizon phones in San Francisco and the AT&T handsets in New York. As soon as we can, though, we'll trade each batch of phones between us so that all handsets are tested on both coasts. In each location, we used the app to ping the same server and record the download and upload speeds in megabits per second. This report is a work in progress so we will keep adding more results when they come in and update our evaluations. At the moment, comparing Sprint's LTE results is trickier since Sprint's network covers only 19 cities. But once it reaches New York or San Francisco we'll test the same phones and add the data here. Verizon Wireless (San Francisco)table.geekbox th{background-color:#72C9F4;text-align:left;font-weight:bold;}table{width:600px;}table.geekbox tr.even{background-color:#CCCCCC;}.ratingGood{color:#093;} .ratingAverage{color:#666;} .ratingBad{color:#C00;}iPhone 5 (LTE)Galaxy S3 (LTE) iPhone 4S (EV-DO)Test 1 download11.92Mbps8.77Mbps1.02MbpsTest 1 upload10.8713.931Test 2 download7.1710.581.76Test 2 upload2.889.360.96Test 3 download10.057.31.78Test 3 upload8.5815.70.87Test 4 download10.489.951.96Test 4 upload7.5914.350.84Test 5 download9.277.752.03Test 5 upload7.4414.390.88Average download9.788.871.71Average upload7.4713.550.91AT&T (New York)table.geekbox th{background-color:#72C9F4;text-align:left;font-weight:bold;}table{width:600px;}table.geekbox tr.even{background-color:#CCCCCC;}.ratingGood{color:#093;} .ratingAverage{color:#666;} .ratingBad{color:#C00;}iPhone 5 (LTE)Galaxy S3 (LTE)iPhone 4S (HSPA)Test 1 download23.6Mbps14.79Mbps8.18MbpsTest 1 upload10.177.831.98Test 2 download20.3719.156.48Test 2 upload9.558.451.92Test 3 download16.6921.086.5Test 3 upload7.559.461.95Test 4 download23.0220.915.66Test 4 upload7.9710.471.82Test 5 download18.5420.757.03Test 5 upload11.739.390.61Average download20.4419.346.77Average upload9.399.121.66I know it's not earth-shattering news, but both the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3 smoked the iPhone 4S all around. But even the LTE handsets weren't in line. On Big Red, the iPhone 5 delivered superior download speeds while the Galaxy S3 enjoyed almost double the upload speeds. On AT&T, the two devices were almost evenly matched. And on the whole, AT&T's network outperformed Verizon's.Keep in mind that your results may vary depending on your location, the strength of a carrier's network at a given the time, and the number of people using it around you. Carrier network performance changes constantly so there's no way to guarantee that you'll get the same results as we found. CNET Senior Editor Brian Bennett contributed to this report. This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.Play
Rumor Has It, Ep. 26- Last call for iPhone 5 rumors (podcast)
Rumor Has It, Ep. 26: Last call for iPhone 5 rumors (podcast)
Friends, geeks, countrymen, lend me your ears, for we have some important news: iPhone 5 may get a bigger Retina Display!OK, OK, you got me; that isn't actually the big, bomb-dropping news. I'm stalling, but I'll just be brave and come out with it like a responsible adult: the Rumor Has It podcast as you have come to know and love it is ending. Next week we will have our final episode, consisting of the ULTIMATE HUMILIATION! We hate to go, but it's been so much fun, and we're going to go out with a rollicking, fun show. All our chips are on the table; this is it, folks!On this week's show, we gush about how much we love you, explain the changes coming to CNET TV, play an awesome clip show made by our fan Cale, and bet on the final rumors.Karyne's walrus for Draw Something.Karyne Levy/CNETNow for the rumors: we are perplexed by the whole "tattoos that answer phone calls" patent from Nokia. Then we wonder what in the world Microsoft is thinking submitting a patent for a 3D gaming helmet that looks like Karyne drew it in Draw Something. We ask, is the new iPhone finally going to get bigger? And is Sony so sad and behind that it is really going to release a Chromebook literally a year too late?But most importantly of all, what do you guys want to see on our last show? Please write us with ideas for short, in-studio humiliations we can enact, and ask your final questions! We'll answer as many as we can, and play as many of your videos and voice mails as we can cram into an hour. Also, if you want to write in with your support for the show, or ideas for a new show that Karyne, Stephen, and I can undertake, please do! E-mail us at Rumorhasit [at] cnet.com; call 1-800 750-CNET; or tweet to us @RumorShow, @EmilyDreyfuss, @karynelevy, and @stephenbeacham. Thanks, everyone!EPISODE 26This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlaySubscribe:Â RSS (MP3) |Â RSS (320x180) |Â RSS (640x360) |Â iTunes (MP3) |Â iTunes (320x180) |Â iTunes (640x360)Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element.Links from the show!Nokia wants your tattoos to vibrate when the phone rings--ew?Microsoft working on gaming helmets and eyewear? iPhone to get bigger Retina Display?Sony Chromebook is not a unicorn, Laptop Review reportsYay or Nay?Will we get password-free Wi-Fi? (Whatever that means)Is the HTC One V slated for Virgin Mobile?4G roaming coming to the U.S.? Will they release a 10-inch Kindle Fire?
Friends, geeks, countrymen, lend me your ears, for we have some important news: iPhone 5 may get a bigger Retina Display!OK, OK, you got me; that isn't actually the big, bomb-dropping news. I'm stalling, but I'll just be brave and come out with it like a responsible adult: the Rumor Has It podcast as you have come to know and love it is ending. Next week we will have our final episode, consisting of the ULTIMATE HUMILIATION! We hate to go, but it's been so much fun, and we're going to go out with a rollicking, fun show. All our chips are on the table; this is it, folks!On this week's show, we gush about how much we love you, explain the changes coming to CNET TV, play an awesome clip show made by our fan Cale, and bet on the final rumors.Karyne's walrus for Draw Something.Karyne Levy/CNETNow for the rumors: we are perplexed by the whole "tattoos that answer phone calls" patent from Nokia. Then we wonder what in the world Microsoft is thinking submitting a patent for a 3D gaming helmet that looks like Karyne drew it in Draw Something. We ask, is the new iPhone finally going to get bigger? And is Sony so sad and behind that it is really going to release a Chromebook literally a year too late?But most importantly of all, what do you guys want to see on our last show? Please write us with ideas for short, in-studio humiliations we can enact, and ask your final questions! We'll answer as many as we can, and play as many of your videos and voice mails as we can cram into an hour. Also, if you want to write in with your support for the show, or ideas for a new show that Karyne, Stephen, and I can undertake, please do! E-mail us at Rumorhasit [at] cnet.com; call 1-800 750-CNET; or tweet to us @RumorShow, @EmilyDreyfuss, @karynelevy, and @stephenbeacham. Thanks, everyone!EPISODE 26This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlaySubscribe:Â RSS (MP3) |Â RSS (320x180) |Â RSS (640x360) |Â iTunes (MP3) |Â iTunes (320x180) |Â iTunes (640x360)Listen nowYour browser does not support the audio element.Links from the show!Nokia wants your tattoos to vibrate when the phone rings--ew?Microsoft working on gaming helmets and eyewear? iPhone to get bigger Retina Display?Sony Chromebook is not a unicorn, Laptop Review reportsYay or Nay?Will we get password-free Wi-Fi? (Whatever that means)Is the HTC One V slated for Virgin Mobile?4G roaming coming to the U.S.? Will they release a 10-inch Kindle Fire?
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