On paper, Ookla says the N1 chip's Wi-Fi capabilities are “virtually identical to its Broadcom-based predecessor” in the iPhone 16. The N1 is also limited to 160MHz channels and doesn't take full advantage Faster Wi-Fi 7 channels at 320 MHzbut for real users this limitation did not have a significant impact.
Using Speedtest Intelligence data collected within six weeks of the release of Apple's latest smartphones, Ookla found that average download and upload speeds for the iPhone 17 family were 40 percent faster than the iPhone 16 family worldwide. The N1's 10th percentile speed was even faster, 60 percent faster than the iPhone 16, meaning the new chip's performance improvements are even more noticeable in “challenging Wi-Fi conditions.”
The iPhone 17 family has outperformed flagship Android devices like the Pixel 10 family and the Galaxy S25 family in North America, where Wi-Fi 7 devices can use up to three 320MHz channels and the N1 should be at a disadvantage. The iPhone 17 family had the highest average and 90% Wi-Fi download speeds at 416.14 Mbps and 976.39 Mbps, respectively. This may change as the number of 320MHz-capable Wi-Fi 7 routers increases in North America, but this supports the findings that the N1 can “deliver more consistent performance in non-ideal Wi-Fi conditions.”
