Client - iPhone 6s WiFi client review

[sfx2000]

anybody interested?

It's a 2*2:2 802.11ac SU-MIMO client, and I've done a quick round of testing... including AP/Hotspot mode.

 

[thiggins]

post it please

 

[Nullity]

Can you do a quick iperf test?

 

[sfx2000]

Can you do a quick iperf test?

will do in a bit -- problem here at the moment is that it'll be a bit subjective and relative to other devices since I no longer have access to a test bench...

 

[sfx2000]

iPhone 6s – quick review

iOS 9.1 used for all testing/notes
WLAN testing using WiFi Sweetspots
WAN tests via Speedtest.net, DSLReports Speedtest

Client Notes:

Client is 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Broadcom based.. 2*2:2 for 11n/11ac

1) No issues noted with association on 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac AP's
2) WPA2-PSK and WPA2-Enterprise tested - no problems noted - open networks no problem, WPA1/WEP not tested
3) Handover threshold is around -70 dBm - it will start sending probe requests looking for candidate AP at that point - important for single SSID/multiple AP deployments at home
4) 11ac in 5GHz - supports and responds to VHT Beamforming requests by the AP - SU-MIMO only, does not support 802.11n beam forming in my testing, so this is limited to 11ac in 5GHz mode
5) TurboQAM/VHT modes in 2.4GHz - responds as 11n client, so no extra kibbles there - but no issues noted if AP is in VHT20/40 mode
6) 802.11r/k support - provides correct feedback to AP's via 802.11 management messages... this is mostly for enterprise level 802.11 networks
7) 2.4GHz - 20MHz channel support only, 5GHz support up to 80MHz
8) no indication of MU-MIMO support in pcap traces

AP Mode - e.g. Wireless Hotspot on iPhone 6s/iOS 9.1

* AP isolation in place - clients do not see each other - this limits iPerf2/3 testing across associated clients, but also is a big plus for security - file sharing across clients directly isn't possible, but iCloud/Dropbox/Skydrive is the best option here.
* Vanilla 802.11 b/g/n, nothing exceptional here... just note that Apple has never supported wide channels in 2.4GHz, so N144 (N300 narrow channels) is the rule of the day
* Connection is WPA2-AES/PSK
* SSID is based on device name - note if doing a network settings reset, it will be iPhone, which can have problems, so remember to go back and rename the device (Settings/General/Name - you can edit this here, or do it in iTunes.
* WiFi hotspot mode WAN/LAN performance is same as tethered/internal (no hotspot mode), so low overhead noted
* WAN/LAN performance is dependent on carrier coverage/rateplans in effect, so I'm not going to note performance for this mode - on ATT LTE/4G it's not bad - let's say 20 up/down symmetric in my market, pretty similar for Verizon
* AP mode provides a NAT connection - so fairly secure there, no VPN options, no manual port forwarding, no options for uPNP/NAT-PMP
* AP mode only allows for SSID (device name) and Passphrase, no guest networks, no channel/band selections

Notes for tethered mode:

1) Direct tethering via USB is comm port access - e.g. serial PPP line - not recommended
2) Bluetooth is Comm Port emulation - same thing as item (1) above, best choice is WiFi access
3) iCloud Keychain - if Macs/iDevices have iCloud keychain, and all are in the same iCloud account, discovery and security is transparent

Performance Quick Test

WiFi to WAN via LAN - 64.03 Mbps down/5.37 Mbps up (CoxHSI 50/5 committed BW)
LTE/4G - 22.55 Mbps down/19.15 Mbps up (AT&T)

Hotspot/AP mode - similar to LTE/4G

Note - LTE/WAN performance is dependent on the broadband operators - some will be faster, some slower..

Client WiFi LAN performance - 802.11ac (5GHz) - AP is Airport Extreme AC (3*3:3)

Using WiFi Sweetspots (free on the iTunes App Store, Android version on Google Play)

390.14 Mbps from 2 meters (VHT80)

Compared to following - iPhone 5 and iPad Mini 2 using wide channels in 5GHz (HT40) - same location

iPad Mini 2 (Retina) - 135 Mbps (2*2:2 802.11n)
iPhone 5 - 83 Mbps (1*1:1 802.11n)

 

[sfx2000]

Pretty amazing the levels of performance we're seeing these days in handsets/handhelds...

Outside of testing the WiFi - the geekbench numbers for the iPhone 6s are pretty close to what the Macbook Air 2014 edition runs - so consider ARMv8 (64bit) is close to what a Core-i5 (Haswell) @ 1.4GHz (turbo to 2.7GHz)... SunSpider and Graphics benchmarks are pretty close as well...

 

[coxhaus]

My wife has a iPhone 6s now and is quite pleased. It replaced an iPhone 4s is much faster and better in her opinion. I am happy because it works with my 5GHz Wi-Fi network only system.

 

[sfx2000]

My wife has a iPhone 6s now and is quite pleased. It replaced an iPhone 4s is much faster and better in her opinion. I am happy because it works with my 5GHz Wi-Fi network only system.

The iPhone 6/6s (and plus sizes) are 11ac in 5GHz, along with iPad Air 2, iPad Mini 4, iPod Touch 6 (and the upcoming iPad Pro and Apple TV 4th Gen).

Basically any iDevice that has an A8 or later System on Chip will support 11ac to some extent.

 

[RMerlin]

WiFi to WAN via LAN - 64.03 Mbps down/5.37 Mbps up (CoxHSI 50/5 committed BW)
LTE/4G - 22.55 Mbps down/19.15 Mbps up (AT&T)

Hotspot/AP mode - similar to LTE/4G

Note - LTE/WAN performance is dependent on the broadband operators - some will be faster, some slower..

As an example of the potential LTE can offer with an average provider and a recent phone, this is a speedtest I ran last week on my Nexus 5X, as I left the metro station, and noticed I had a very high LTE signal (the LTE Discovery application shows you the GSM and LTE signal levels separately):

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/1522252695

If I had looked around, I bet I might have seen the physical antenna or something. I've never gotten anything anywhere that close in all my other test spots so far.

Any idea what wifi chip Apple uses? Or is that an undisclosed secret sauce?

 

[sfx2000]

Any idea what wifi chip Apple uses? Or is that an undisclosed secret sauce?

It's an integrated multiple chip module from USI - but the WiFi/BT combo chip is a Broadcom BCM4350, at least for the 6s/6sPlus - the USI module incorporates the front end LNA/PA/RF switch as well

 

[sfx2000]

Universal Scientific Industrial 339S00043 (WiFi Module) - seems to be specific to Apple (packaging perhaps?)

• Broadcom BCM4350
• National Semiconductor LP5911
• Skyworks 548B03
• Skyworks 564B01
• Skyworks AB35G
• Skyworks ZH057_303

 

[RMerlin]

So, no MU-MIMO for either the iPhone 6S or the Nexus 5X (older QCA6174 according to the iFixIt tear down). For two high profile phones released in the second half of 2015, I find that highly disappointing. I suspect that most client manufacturers will wait for both router availability AND Wifi Alliance validation. Once again, the chicken-and-egg problem.

 

[sfx2000]

So, no MU-MIMO for either the iPhone 6S or the Nexus 5X (older QCA6174 according to the iFixIt tear down). For two high profile phones released in the second half of 2015, I find that highly disappointing. I suspect that most client manufacturers will wait for both router availability AND Wifi Alliance validation. Once again, the chicken-and-egg problem.

Nexus 6P has the Broadcom BCM4358 (discrete) if I recall correctly - Samsung GS6/GS6Edge is Broadcom BCM4358 packaged in a Samsung MCM...

So Q4-2015, the high-end smartphones are pretty much not MU capable..

 

[pec]

iPhone 6s – quick review
Performance Quick Test

WiFi to WAN via LAN - 64.03 Mbps down/5.37 Mbps up (CoxHSI 50/5 committed BW)

390.14 Mbps from 2 meters (VHT80)

I am seeing similar results with iPhone 6s and Linksys EA6900 (AC1900):

Wi-Fi to WAN - 277 Mbps down/52 Mbps up with Speedtest to local ISP (Suddenlink 1000 Mbps down and 50 Mbps up). In contrast, I get 420 Mbps down with 2x2 intel 7260AC in a recent laptop.

358 Mbps from 2 m using Wi-Fi Sweetspots

 

[sfx2000]

Interesting to note that the new Apple TV 4th Gen (ATV4) uses the same WiFi/BT module as the iPhone6s/6sPlus...

I'll probably do a quick snapshot of that device shortly - it's pretty much the same from a client perspective with an interesting twist - peer to peer Airplay support from certain Apple devices which might impact your channel planning...

 

[Nullity]

Interesting to note that the new Apple TV 4th Gen (ATV4) uses the same WiFi/BT module as the iPhone6s/6sPlus...

I'll probably do a quick snapshot of that device shortly - it's pretty much the same from a client perspective with an interesting twist - peer to peer Airplay support from certain Apple devices which might impact your channel planning...

WiFi Direct?
TDLS?

 

[sfx2000]

WiFi Direct?
TDLS?

AWDL - Apple Wireless Direct Link - it is Apple specific, but standards compliant like WiFi Direct Link and Miracast - nice to note however is that when AWDL is active, it uses WPA2-AES (PSK)...

Part of the whole iOS8/OSX 10.10 discoveryd trainwreck... iOS9/OSX 10.11, all seems to be much better - tvOS on ATV4 is an iOS9 variant...

 

[sfx2000]

Reference here - http://help.apple.com/deployment/ios/#/apd8fc751f59

The thing that caught me up - and I had to read this a couple of times - that's why I sent out the "heads up" on the potential channel impacts on CH6/CH149+1

"AirPlay supports infrastructure and peer-to-peer connectivity. If the AirPlay sender and the receiver support peer-to-peer AirPlay, that’s the preferred data path regardless of infrastructure availability. However, the sender and receiver can maintain Internet connectivity simultaneously with the peer-to-peer connection."​

 

[oʇıƃoɔ]

sfx 2000,
Thank you for this work illustrating the iPhone 6s WIFI MIMO capacity. I want to “go to the metal" on this one for the purpose of designing a rather atypical app. It is my understanding that the radio is mostly software. I want to know everything about Universal Scientific Industrial 339S00043. That and RF1347 the AP?

I would appreciate any molecule of info you can throw my way. We will be using the iPhone MIMO solo with possibly cloud enhancement. I am also looking for people who like to do hard things not done before just for fun, at least in the beginning.

For we feel the timing is perfect right now for what we propose and will be for at least one year.

 

[L&LD]

sfx 2000,
Thank you for this work illustrating the iPhone 6s WIFI MIMO capacity. I want to “go to the metal" on this one for the purpose of designing a rather atypical app. It is my understanding that the radio is mostly software. I want to know everything about Universal Scientific Industrial 339S00043. That and RF1347 the AP?

I would appreciate any molecule of info you can throw my way. We will be using the iPhone MIMO solo with possibly cloud enhancement. I am also looking for people who like to do hard things not done before just for fun, at least in the beginning.

For we feel the timing is perfect right now for what we propose and will be for at least one year.

Well, don't leave us hanging! What do you propose?