ET Telecom reports that Apple is in talks with Airtel to expand 5G network support in India as early as December, this year. The advanced connectivity support will be pushed to 5G-enabled iPhones via a software update.
Starting from iPhone 12 series launched in 2020, Apple’s latest iPhone models come with 5G network support for faster connectivity speeds for users to download movies, stream high-quality videos, and FaceTime in HD. However, not all carriers around the world support 5G in their region, and owners with 5G-enable iPhones are deprived of faster connectivity in those regions.
Apple testing 5G network support in India
Currently, three major Indian carriers Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vi do not support 5G and only offer LTE support. According to the report, that is going to change in the coming months.
People familiar with the matter told the publisher that the matter has been escalated to the highest levels at Apple and AirTel and in an upcoming meeting, it will be decided when the 5G network support will be made available in the country.
As standard practice, the tech giant tests its devices on a new network before going live. And it has allegedly begun testing the capability in Indian metropolises like Mumbai and Delhi and the support would be released in December.
Furthermore, sources close to Apple have also claimed that the tech company is also testing 5G iPhones on Reliance Jio’s network.
People close to Apple confirmed that the US smartphone major is extensively testing its 5G iPhone models on both Airtel and Reliance Jio’s 5G networks.
The company usually takes time to test and validate its devices every time a carrier goes live with their 5G network, they said, and once it feels that the network is going to give the customers the best experience on iPhones, Apple will roll out the update supporting 5G.
Read More:
- Apple leads the 5G smartphones market with a 37% share
- iPhone 14 Pro features Qualcomm X65 modem for faster 5G and efficient battery life
- iPhone 14 Pro can achieve up to 38% faster 5G speeds than iPhone 13 Pro
- Apple’s 5G modem expected to debut by 2025, Qualcomm to continue supplying modems till then
