Samsung Galaxy S10 + Has the Fastest 4G Speeds (so Far)
Nobody likes to wait until some information is downloaded to the phone. Whether it’s blank web pages or buffering streaming sites, we turn to our pocket computers for instant connectivity and instant gratification, and it’s so annoying when they let us down or download silly videos for ages.
We often attribute the speed of the device to ISPs, mobile operators and that little bar at the top of the device, not to the hardware of the phone. While this is a sane way to think about it, the phone itself plays an important role. Remember AntennaGate from iPhone 4? The location and design of the antenna with a gap on the bezel made it difficult to connect the phone when you held it in your hand.
Now – at least for now – we have a solid decision on which phones do the best with connecting and maintaining excellent connectivity with US carriers. According to a series of tests conducted by popular independent internet speed test provider Ookla , published by subsidiary PCMag , the fastest 4G smartphone is Samsung’s latest high-end flagship phone, the Galaxy S10 +. This distinction is based on Ookla Enterprise Metrics’ Speedtest Intelligence study, which used crowdsourced data to estimate 4G download speeds on today’s mainstream devices.
Ookla tested Samsung Galaxy S8 +, S9 +, S10 + and Note 9; Google Pixel 3, LG V40 and iPhone XS Max. According to the data, the Galaxy S10 + and LG V40 were pretty tough with average download speeds of 54Mbps and 52Mbps respectively, followed by the Galaxy S9 + and Note 9 at 47Mbps and 45Mbps. The speed of the iPhone XS Max and Galaxy S8 + was 41 Mbps, while the Pixel 3 was 39 Mbps.
Why does the S10 + stand out from the rest of the package? PCMag noted that the modem in the S10 + is newer and probably has a better RF setting, which improves connectivity and performance.
Interestingly, PCMag ran a second anecdotal test with the Galaxy S + and iPhone XS Max phones and found similar results – the S10 + was faster and the others were equal, but not by a wide margin.
However, there are many factors that affect your download speed from moment to moment, including the distance from the tower for your carrier and which apps you run in the background of your phone. I am pleased to have this data as a general reference, but avoid relying on it and, more importantly, use it to define expectations.
(Full disclosure: I recently started writing for PCMag.)