32GB iPhone 7 is Slower Than Larger Storage Versions Claim Tests

Unbox Therapy released a video the other day showing that the 32 GB iPhone 7 is significantly slower than the 128 GB or 256 GB versions, and additional testing conducted by others confirms that. Furthermore, some models may have poorer 4G reception than others (via The Guardian).

Testing by GSMArena and Unbox Therapy revealed that reading data from the storage of the 32 GB iPhone 7 was 200 MB slower than the 128 GB version, which isn’t noticeable in everyday usage. What is noticeable, though, is the write speed: when you save data (music, videos, photos, etc.) on your iPhone, well, that counts.

As it turns out, the 128 GB iPhone 7 had a write speed of 341 Mbps, which compares to the 32 GB version’s 42 Mbps. GSMArena confirmed Unbox Therapy’s findings, reports the Guardian.

Why? According to How to Geek on why smaller capacity SSDs are slower:

The higher capacity variants of an SSD model often get their higher capacity from simply having more NAND flash chips of the same type as the lower capacity variants. Having more NAND flash chips allows for a design where the controller on the SSD can access more data in parallel, allowing for higher speeds.

So in reality, this is by design, as a limitation of SSD by capacity si

But there is more: New York-based Cellular Insights has found that iPhone 7 Plus smartphones with model numbers A1778 and A1784, have poorer 4G reception that those with model numbers A1660 and A1661.

The difference between the models is the modem: The A1778 and A1784 models carry an Intel modem chip, while the A1660 and A1661 versions incorporate a Qualcomm modem. The Intel-inside iPhones show at least 30% worse network performance (some up to 75%) than those using a Qualcomm modem.

History seems to be repeating itself: The dual sourcing of chips doesn’t seem to work out well for users. Last year Apple issued a comment regarding TSMC vs. Samsung A9 battery life. It remains to be seen whether Apple considers these reports interesting enough to reply. So far, it has refrained from giving any explanation.

Image credit: Unbox Therapy