The N1 chip in the iPhone 17 boasts Wi-Fi capabilities that have been compared to its predecessor in the iPhone 16 by Ookla. Despite being limited to 160MHz channels and not fully utilizing Wi-Fi 7’s faster 320MHz channels, real-world users have not experienced any significant impact from this limitation.

Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence data collected after the release of Apple’s latest smartphones revealed that the median download and upload speeds of the iPhone 17 family were up to 40 percent higher than those of the iPhone 16 family worldwide. Additionally, the N1 chip’s 10th-percentile speeds were 60 percent faster than the iPhone 16, indicating significant performance improvements especially in challenging Wi-Fi conditions.

In North America, where Wi-Fi 7 devices can utilize up to three 320MHz channels, the iPhone 17 family outperformed flagship Android devices such as the Pixel 10 and Galaxy S25 families. With median and 90th percentile Wi-Fi download speeds reaching 416.14 Mbps and 976.39 Mbps respectively, the iPhone 17 family showcased superior performance. The N1 chip demonstrated its ability to deliver consistent performance even in less-than-ideal Wi-Fi conditions, despite being at a potential disadvantage.