Why is WiFi performance so much worse on smartphones than it is on laptops and computers?
Antenna Size
The antenna on current-gen routers are usually 8-inches long. Some routers are equipped with 2 or even 3 of them. Usually a bigger antenna is better than a smaller one. Its design and physique makes up on a good antenna.
Let's talk about smartphones. Look at it. Where's its WiFi antenna? Not many smartphones feature an antenna that runs corner to corner, and even if it has, it wouldn't be any longer than five. Most OEMs run them up one side or across the top or bottom, resulting in an even shorter antenna. What's worse is that they're aggravating the antenna which is surrounded by radio-blocking components (usually).
Output Power
Battery Life has been one of our primary concerns when owning a smartphone or a tablet. To save battery, OEMs tend to limit the output of our radios. As you emit more electrical energy, the draw on your battery increases. The manufacturers attempt to balance this with an acceptable level. The less power your output, the shorter your signal can travel.
Computers, however, are plugged into an outlet all the time, no manufacturer care about how much power your WiFi is gobbling
Number of Antennas
Most routers include more than one antenna to simultaneously send and receive signals. These signals can bounce off obstructions and take multiple paths from the access point to the device, and back again. Most smartphones don't have the multi-antenna configuration needed to take advantage of the MIMO technology (Multiple In, Multiple Out). Which results in noticeably slower speeds.
WiFi Standards
Earlier today we talked about WiFi Protocols and the 5GHz Standard. I tackled about 802.11a/b/g which feature the slowest speeds of today's standards. 802.11n is faster. Most smartphones supports 802.11n, and relatively few supports the most recent (and fastest) standard: 802.11ac.
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