5G on iPhones in India: Apple to push the 5G update soon, says Airtel

Airtel has already rolled out its 5G service in India and iPhones are yet to get its support. Here are the latest updates.

5G on iPhones in India will be possible soon, says Airtel. (Bloomberg)

5G is here in India (feels weird to say), and you can already access it on Airtel's network. Airtel became the first service provider to kickstart 5G in India and those in Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Siliguri, and Ahmedabad can enjoy 5G right now. However, there's one small problem – 5G support. For the last two years, Apple has been flaunting 5G support on its iPhones for years and now that 5G is here, the iPhones do not support it yet.

Hence, Airtel's 5G network can be accessed on most supported 5G Android phones but not on the desirable iPhone models. Airtel has now hinted that Apple is releasing an update to fix this issue with an upcoming update. In a statement to Indian Express, Airtel's Chief Technology Officer Randeep Sekhon says, “5G on iPhone is not working yet because Apple has to open it. They are promising to open it soon. Apple is currently testing 5G in India; we have set up special networks for them to test.”

5G on iPhones to work soon

Hence, even if you have just bought the brand new iPhone 14, Airtel's 5G network won't work on it until Apple enables it. Note that 5G networks are supported on iPhone 12 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 14 series and iPhone SE 3rd Gen. Users of these iPhone models need to look for an update from Apple, and once that is installed, 5G services will be accessible.

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Note that if you use an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, iPhone 8 and iPhone SE 2nd Gen, you won't be able to access 5G services, given that these models only support 4G LTE services.

Additionally, both Airtel and Jio have confirmed that you do not need to change your SIM card to access 5G services. If your area has 5G coverage, all you need is a 5G smartphone to access the faster speeds.

As for the prices, Airtel is yet to announce anything on that front. It is said that Airtel 5G services won't be much more expensive than existing 4G services, and that India will get to witness cheapest 5G services. Jio, on the other hand, has confirmed hosting a free beta trial service for its 5G network until it covers an entire city. Jio will offer 5G services to select customers through an invite only system for now, while Airtel has no such requirements.