Apple has confirmed that eligible iPhone users in India will be able to use 5G services from December. Once Apple rolls out the software update, Indian iPhone users with Airtel and Reliance Jio network in the selected cities will be able to use 5G.
Apple has confirmed that eligible iPhone users in India will be able to use 5G services from December as the company will start rolling out necessary software updates that users need to use the 5G network. 5G networks are expected to be operational as soon as network validation and testing for quality and performance are finished.
“We are working with our carrier partners in India to offer the finest 5G experience to iPhone consumers. In December, iPhone customers will start receiving software updates that allow 5G,” according to a statement from Apple.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally unveiled the 5G network at the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC 2022), however Indian customers are still unable to use the services since the majority of OEMs have not yet made a software update available to allow 5G services on the handsets.
Indian iPhone customers using Airtel and Reliance Jio networks in the chosen cities will be able to enjoy 5G services after Apple releases the software update.
In 8 locations across India, Bharti Airtel has begun offering its Airtel 5G Plus services. Customers of Airtel may now use its 5G services in 8 significant cities, the company stated. Airtel 5G Plus is available in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur, and Varanasi, among other places. By 2023, the business hopes to have a fully operational 5G network throughout metropolitan India, making it one of the quickest roll-outs ever.
It is worth noting that reports in the past couple of days have said that Apple is testing its iPhones on Airtel’s 5G network in select cities in India and that the company is expected to roll out support for 5G network on the supported iPhones soon. Now, the new report shares more details in this regard.
Apple iPhone models that support 5G connectivity in India
If you are an iPhone user and not sure if your device supports 5G connectivity, here is the complete list of iPhones that support 5G in India:
— iPhone 12 mini
— iPhone 12
— iPhone 12 Pro
— iPhone 12 Pro Max
— iPhone 13 Mini
— iPhone 13
— iPhone 13 Pro
— iPhone 13 Pro Max
— iPhone SE-2022
— iPhone 14
— iPhone 14 Plus
— iPhone 14 Pro
— iPhone 14 Pro Max
It is worth noting that Airtel’s 5G plus network is available at 4G tariff plans in India. At the time of roll out, Airtel said that it will announce 5G tariff plans once the service is available more widely in the country. Additionally, the company confirmed that 4G users don’t need to update their SIM cards to access 5G network on their smartphones.
Apple said it is working with carrier partners in India to bring the best 5G experience to iPhone users as soon as network validation and testing for quality and performance is completed. Korean handset maker Samsung on Wednesday pledged its commitment to rolling out over-the-air updates across all its 5G devices by mid-November, to enable Indian consumers to experience the high speed services seamlessly. We are working closely with our operator partners and are committed to rolling out OTA updates across all our 5G devices by mid-November 2022, enabling Indian consumers to experience 5G seamlessly,” a Samsung India spokesperson said. The spokesperson said that Samsung has pioneered 5G technology developments since 2009 and took the leading role in standardising 5G technology globally.
“In India, Samsung has the widest portfolio of 5G devices,” the spokesperson added. Behind the scenes, telecom operators squarely blame handset manufacturers for the delay in rolling out the crucial software updates and patches, arguing that the frequencies and the spectrum auction and allotment timelines were clearly evident to smartphone players well in advance.
