A new report from Ookla suggests that Apple’s budget-friendly (so to speak) iPhone 16e is holding its own against the standard iPhone 16 in Canada, particularly when it comes to uploading.
According to Speedtest data, the iPhone 16e with Apple’s in-house C1 modem reached median upload speeds of 23.91 Mbps, more than double the iPhone 16’s 11.57 Mbps on Canadian carriers. That means iPhone 16e users could see smoother performance when posting videos, sharing files, or making video calls.
Taking a look at the 10th percentile download speed, comparing Qualcomm’s modem versus Apple C1, you can see how Canada fares compared to other worldwide networks, which is not exactly at the top, despite all the big talk you hear from our telecoms:
Download performance in Canada was roughly even between the two models, with no clear winner. That contrasts with other markets where the iPhone 16 tends to pull ahead on networks using the newest 5G features.
Adoption of the iPhone 16e in Canada remains relatively low, representing just around three percent of iPhone 16-series devices tested. The smaller model has proven more popular in countries like Japan, where lower-cost and compact phones have a stronger following.
For Canadian consumers, the data suggests that if uploads matter most, the iPhone 16e may be the better option today. Future network upgrades, however, could give the iPhone 16 an edge in download speeds as carriers expand advanced 5G features.
According to Ookla analysts to iPhone in Canada, they gave some insight on why Canadian network performance didn’t exactly shine compared to international networks. In a nutshell, spectrum policy has played a major role in shaping 5G performance. In Canada, delays in releasing the 3.8 GHz band and strict spectrum caps on national carriers have slowed progress.
Ookla explained to us while Canada actually led the U.S. in median 5G download speeds in the first half of 2023, the situation has since flipped. By the first half of 2025, U.S. users recorded median 5G download speeds of 223.77 Mbps, compared to just 130.00 Mbps in Canada, according to Speedtest Intelligence.
Tomorrow, Apple will hold its iPhone 17 series special event. Any iPhone 17e won’t likely debut until spring 2026, again.
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