The majority of current flagship smartphones support Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, but you’re not getting the same performance from the same device. For instance, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is miles ahead of the iPhone 17 Pro Max in download speeds, but there’s another flagship included in the list that handily beats both handsets.
The speed difference is due to the Galaxy S26 Ultra supporting an additional Wi-Fi 7 channel, which is something Apple left out on its iPhone 17 Pro Max
Before we get started, we’d like to remind readers that Apple’s N1 wireless networking chip found in the iPhone 17 Pro Max doesn’t support the 320MHz channel, which is the cornerstone of the Wi-Fi 7 standard and what ultimately allows supported devices to reach incredibly high download speeds.
Unfortunately, both the Galaxy S26 Ultra and its immediate predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Ultra, are faster than the iPhone 17 Pro Max because of this very reason, with the YouTube channel Landpet demonstrating this disparity in two comparisons. The test also includes the Pixel 10 Pro XL and the OnePlus 15, most likely because the video doesn’t want to give the impression that it’s only posted to disparage the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
To make the comparison as fair as possible in the local speed test, all flagships are connected to the same IP address and port, with the connection going through the speedy TP-Link Deco BE95 router, with a separate computer acting as the server. As seen below, both the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Ultra are significantly faster than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
As for the internet speed test, both the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S26 Ultra maintain their dominating position over the iPhone 17 Pro Max, with the most surprising results obtained by the OnePlus 15. However, if you notice the local speed test, the OnePlus 15 has the highest ping out of all flagships tested, despite its Wi-Fi 7 results being higher than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra. You can check out the individual statistics and differences below.
Local speed test (connected to the same IP address, connected to TP-Link Deco BE95)
- Pixel 10 Pro XL - 2,134Mbps download, 2,035Mbps upload, 10ms
- iPhone 17 Pro Max - 1,971Mbps download, 1,838Mbps upload, 4ms
- Galaxy S25 Ultra - 3,563Mbps download, 3,459Mbps upload, 6ms
- Galaxy S26 Ultra - 3,963Mbps download, 3,651Mbps upload, 6ms
- OnePlus 15 - 4,281Mbps download, 3,785Mbps upload, 11ms
| Galaxy S26 Ultra Wi-Fi 7 speeds comparison in local speed test | Upload speeds | Download speeds |
|---|---|---|
| vs. Pixel 10 Pro XL | 85.71 percent faster | 79.41 percent faster |
| vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max | 101.07 percent faster | 98.64 percent faster |
| vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra | 11.23 percent faster | 5.55 percent faster |
| vs. OnePlus 15 | 7.43 percent slower | 3.54 percent slower |
Internet speed test
- Pixel 10 Pro XL - 1,568Mbps download, 1,757Mbps upload, 9ms
- iPhone 17 Pro Max - 1,873Mbps download, 1,725Mbps upload, 10ms
- Galaxy S25 Ultra - 3,376Mbps download, 1,561Mbps upload, 7ms
- Galaxy S26 Ultra - 3,368Mbps download, 1,686Mbps upload, 8ms
- OnePlus 15 - 3,612Mbps download, 1,543Mbps upload, 9ms
| Galaxy S26 Ultra Wi-Fi 7 speeds comparison in internet speed test | Upload speeds | Download speeds |
|---|---|---|
| vs. Pixel 10 Pro XL | 114.80 percent faster | 4.04 percent slower |
| vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max | 79.82 percent faster | 2.26 percent slower |
| vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra | 0.24 percent slower | 8.01 percent faster |
| vs. OnePlus 15 | 6.76 percent slower | 9.27 percent faster |
While Galaxy S26 Ultra registers a win, it’s important to note that these Wi-Fi 7 speeds aren’t achievable in real-world use cases, with the OnePlus 15 also crossing the 4Gbps threshold because the router and computer were placed right in front of it. If the distance between all three devices increased, the results would vary significantly. The entire video shows the test from start to finish, so you can view it in detail here.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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