Community Forums

Duner · 07-29-2019, 01:00 PM

Really disappointed with data speed for our iPhone X we bought last December. Can't figure out why it is so much slower than the LG V30 and the Asus Tablet Z8s. Verizon tech had us update the cell tower connectivity but that didn't help.

We use Fast app to measure download speed and only get 300-800kbps while LG and tablet will get 4-10mbps. In the evening when the network slows down I'll get 1-2 mbps and the iPhone will slow to 200-400kbps.

We travel full time and use the hotspot as our source for the 2 Dell laptops. We see slow speeds on the iphone all the time. Seems like the iphone was always slower, tho I can't be sure we compared speeds when new.

Any suggestions short of resetting the phone and losing all the installed apps???

Thx, Bill

Finance · 07-29-2019, 01:07 PM

Is it equally slow whether you run a speed test on the phone internally or a second device connected to the phone’s hotspot?

Duner · 07-29-2019, 02:32 PM

Yes, slower by half or so, while hotspot may be 5-10 times slower.

Ex: Just ran Fast on both phones twice:
.... i-phone 1.8 meg, then 1.7 meg
.... LG V30 3.8 meg, then 3.7 meg
.... Asus Tablet 9.1 and 9.8 meg

Sometimes they are more equal but iphone is never higher speed.

The tablet is faster I think because it has a much bigger antenna and usually has one more bar on signal. The LG and iphone usually have the same # of bars. My experience is at many different locations, maybe 20 or more places.

I have a WeBoost and use that if my LG is having trouble getting service. We put the iphone next to WeBoost and don't see much improvement on hotspot speed.

Finance · 07-29-2019, 02:56 PM

I would swap the SIM cards between the two phones, just to confirm it’s in the iPhone and not a Verizon side issue.

If that confirms it’s the phone I’d do a reset on it. If that fails return it for warranty while you still can.

If you’re into digging into the details you may learn something from putting the iPhone in “field test mode”. That shows all the particulars of the connection to the tower. Android has similar but differently named functions. I’ve used that at times and discovered the issue was different devices using different LTE frequency bands. Just because they’re all Verizon doesn’t mean they’re all on the same band. That said, given the repeated results you’ve experienced over time I think it’s either a configuration issue on the Verizon side or phone side, or a bad radio in the phone.

PS if you have anyone willing to loan you an ATT or T mobile SIM for testing that might be illuminating as well.

CWSWine · 07-29-2019, 04:42 PM

We have what I think Verizon calls the 55+ Unlimited Plan which gives us an Unlimited connection except the hotspot feature is throttled to between 600 & 800 KBS. We can connect to the lighting connection and stream Netflix to the TV but we set up as a hotspot its a no go.

Mtn. Lion · 07-29-2019, 09:01 PM

Apple used two different brand modem chipsets in their iPhones. One is slower than the other. Check to see what chipset you have. Don't quote me on this, but I think the Intel version is slower than the Qualcomm. Look to the iPhone community for specifics.

Duner · 07-29-2019, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWSWine

We have what I think Verizon calls the 55+ Unlimited Plan which gives us an Unlimited connection except the hotspot feature is throttled to between 600 & 800 KBS. We can connect to the lighting connection and stream Netflix to the TV but we set up as a hotspot its a no go.

CWSWine, you nailed it! It got me thinking about our Verizon plan so I went in and found the problem.
About 2 months back I called Verizon to see if I could raise my 22G/15G limits. The tech said I could change to mix-n-match plan and get 70G/20G for $20/mo additional. I planned to do that in November when I can drop the $20/mo Asus Tablet. But the tech changed it immediately and put me on "Beyond Unlimited" and my wife's iphone on "Go Unlimited". The monthly bill was almost exactly the same. Turns out 3 Verizon techs we have talked to did not know that Go Unlimited gives you a reduced hotspot at up to 600k at all times. Tonight I had our plan reversed back to the way it was, starting in 10 days for the next billing month.

diginomad, I think you've nailed it too. The iPhone always tests slower so it makes sense it may be hardware related. We'll be in San Jose in a week and will visit an Apple Store to see what they find.

I will post the outcome, hopefully with some good results.

Thanks for the support ..... should of come to you guys sooner.

Happy Trails,
Bill