Wired.com needs your help testing the iPhone's network speeds

Sure, Apple claims the 3G is fast, but with all the problems with 3Gs connecting all over the world, just how fast is it really? The folks at Wired.com have decided to find out, and they need your help. They'd like you to test your iPhone at the TestmyiPhone.com network speed testing site, and then hit up their global ZeeMap to register your speed.

Instructions are over on their website, and they're testing both Edge and 3G upload and download speeds, so you'll have to run three tests total. You'll also have to sign up for a ZeeMap account.

The eventual payoff will be a relatively clear look at iPhone speeds around the world. Wired says that they'll eventually average global data, but there's a lot of things that could be done with data like this -- heatmaps? Speed per carrier? Once they get a good set of figures together, there's probably all kinds of things that can be done.

View Tags

Source: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/08/iphone-global.html

Categories

Analysis / Opinion Hardware Internet Tools

Sure, Apple claims the 3G is fast, but with all the problems with 3Gs connecting all over the world, just how fast is it really? The folks...

Add a Comment

Sign in »

19 Comments

Filter by:

Steve

Not to mention that when I ran the test, it reset my iPhone (not a 3G) running 2.0.2....

August 20 2008 at 7:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ENDER&*

I get 2441 Kbps Down and 168 Kbps Up. Pretty damn respectable. Fido3G near Toronto.

August 14 2008 at 9:22 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

MikeCP

Ok, I've had my phone since launch day and I've been disappointed with 3G speeds since day 1. I didn't know anyone that had one, so I had no way to compare, but I just thought I was expecting too much from 3G. I've never tested over 500 kbps, and I've been in NYC, Baltimore, and Buffalo networks. Is there something wrong with my phone? Believe me I've tested a lot.

August 14 2008 at 6:23 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

lanejasper69

Ok, insufficient servers, AND I have to sign up? No thanks!!

August 14 2008 at 6:13 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

SubGenius

This is something that a free iPhone application should do. Conduct the speed test, get location information and post to an online mapping site.

There are so many opportunities for user error with the current approach.

August 14 2008 at 3:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Ebika

I was surprised to get 922 Kbps just now since I only have one signal bar. If I walk thirty feet further into the building I am in, the phone goes to no service. The AT&T coverage is definitely flakey in the Chicago 'burbs.

August 14 2008 at 2:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Vancity

I used the test from the link provided by TUAW and got 245 kbps. I then went to www.inetworktest.com (they have an app in the Appstore) and got 99.6-162.1 (I did the test twice). So it was lower on the website that should have less traffic...it loaded faster too. The inetworktest.com site says the app they have in the Appstore is more accurate...so...

August 14 2008 at 1:26 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Alex

They stopped requiring you to create an account.

August 14 2008 at 12:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Richard hart

You can also go to http://i.dslr.net/iphone_speedtest.html

August 14 2008 at 12:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to Richard hart's comment

totoro

873kb/s over 3G with WiFi turned off
(736 kb/s over 3G with WiFi accidentally left on, btw)

356kb/s over EDGE with WiFi turned off

August 14 2008 at 1:35 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

totoro

Just ran it again and got 584 kb/s over 3G with WiFi turned off.

My earlier tests blew away the statistics on that page to date, but I don't see my scores being added.

August 14 2008 at 1:38 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ars_workerbee

If they were serious about getting people to test and submit their results, they wouldn't require so much out of people. As it is, you're starting out by asking people to go out of their way for no personal gain, then you say "oh wait, you need to do it 3 times... and submit it on a different site. that you have to sign up for."

Instead of, you know, throwing together a free speed test app with geolocation and built-in submission capabilities.

I won't be participating.

August 14 2008 at 12:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply