Oliver Haslam on October 30, 2016, 9:23 am

How To Check If Your iPhone 7 Has Intel Or Qualcomm LTE Modem

How to check whether iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus has Intel LTE modem or / Vs Qualcomm LTE modem, with one of them being faster than other.

We have already told you that both Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus feature hardware from two different manufacturers – namely Qualcomm and Intel – when it comes to the LTE modem, and that’s unfortunate, because not all modems are created equal. iPhone 7 units with a Qualcomm chip inside apparently perform slightly better than those with an Intel part.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus cam main

This has been proven by a few tests now, and while we’re still not convinced that the difference in speed or workable range would be a big one, we know that some of you will wonder which chip you’re using right now.

Working out the answer to that question is actually surprisingly easy. In fact, if you’re wondering whether Qualcomm or Intel is powering your LTE experience on your iPhone 7 right now, the following is all you need to do to get a quick answer. Head on over to the Settings app and select General > About > Legal > Regulatory. Here, at the top of the screen, should be the model number we’re looking for in order to carry out a quick and dirty identification.

Now if the model number shown here reads A1778 or A1784, then the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus in question is an AT&T or T-Mobile version making use of the Intel modem. If the model number is A1660 or A1661, however, then it’s going to be a Sprint or Verizon variant with a Qualcomm modem. We told you it was easy.

As we say, though, we wouldn’t go looking for the answers here were it not for some idle curiosity. Changing iPhones, and carriers, just because of the brand of LTE chip in use would be much too much for us to recommend. After all, no matter which LTE hardware is in your iPhone, it’s always going to be quick.

That’s what 4G is all about, after all.