If you're experiencing a significant difference in speed between your iPhone's speed test results and the devices connected to its hotspot, there are a few factors that could contribute to this:
- Signal strength and distance: The speed of your hotspot connection can be affected by the distance between your iPhone and the connected devices, as well as any obstacles or interference in the environment. A weaker signal can result in reduced speed for connected devices.
- Hotspot capabilities: The hotspot functionality of your iPhone might have limitations in terms of the number of connected devices it can handle or the maximum bandwidth it can provide. Some devices may not be able to achieve the same speed as your iPhone's speed test due to these limitations.
- Bandwidth sharing: When multiple devices are connected to a hotspot, they share the available bandwidth. This means that if multiple devices are actively using data or streaming content simultaneously, the overall speed for each connected device may be lower.
- Network congestion: If you're in an area with high network congestion, such as in a crowded public space or during peak usage times, it can impact the speed of your hotspot connection. The available bandwidth may be shared among more users, leading to reduced speeds for each connected device.
While it's not necessarily an Apple-imposed limitation, it's important to note that hotspot performance can vary depending on the specific device and network conditions. Additionally, individual devices may have different Wi-Fi capabilities, which can impact the speed they can achieve when connected to a hotspot.
If you've already taken the steps you mentioned to ensure optimal conditions for testing, it's possible that the difference in speeds is due to one or more of the factors mentioned above. If you require consistently higher speeds for your connected devices, you might consider alternative methods such as a dedicated mobile hotspot device or a Wi-Fi router that supports tethering.