AT&T iPhone download speeds beat Verizon

When it comes to data speeds, one research group claims that the AT&T iPhone 4 is a nosehair faster than Verizon's iPhone.

Downloading data with the AT&T iPhone, which runs on a 3G HSPDA network, is twice as fast as downloads with the Verizon iPhone, which runs on EVDO, according to mobile research firm Metrico Wireless. But the average load time for an "average Web page" is the same on both devices.

When the iPhone user is on the move, AT&T's iPhone completed "around 10 percent more data download sessions than the Verizon iPhone. The opposite was true when the iPhone was stationary," Metrico found.

"There are many factors that determine Web performance. Speed isn't the only one," a Metrico spokeswoman said. "There's also OS trends, rendering time, latency on the network, etc. This report's findings are based on a standardized average Web page. Larger Web pages may offer different results."

Interestingly, Metrico did not compare the phones' voice quality, arguably the biggest point of contention between the carriers. Instead, it benchmarked the voice quality against the carrier's own phones.

When compared to 22 other AT&T smartphones, the iPhone ranked near the top on data speeds and was comparable to the Sony Ericsson Xperia, LG Quantum, and HTC Surround, the report said. It ranked in the middle on call performance, behind the Samsung Captivate and HTC Aria.

Meanwhile, when compared to 17 other Verizon smartphones, the iPhone ranked below average in data downloading speeds. It was near the top in noise-cancelling performance, akin to the Motorola Droid X and LG Ally. The Verizon iPhone ranked average in speech quality, behind the LG Fathom.

Metrico did not release any detailed statistics or methodology, but pointed us to download the full report for $4,950.

Metrico tested the phones with nearly 4,000 voice calls. The phones were also tested with over 10,000 Web page downloads and more than 2,000 data download and upload tests. Although AT&T is a customer of Metrico's 'Fit 4 Launch' program, the spokeswoman emphasized that this report was done "on its own dime" and as part of Metrico's ongoing 'Smartphone and M.E.' study, which independently evaluates phones soon after their commercial launches.

This article, written by Sara Yin, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc..