Last month, Indian telecom operators – Airtel, Jio, and Vi launched 5G services in the country. These operators are even offering 5G services in a few parts of the country. However, in order to enable 5G connectivity, smartphone manufacturers have to roll out firmware updates for eligible devices. Apple India, a couple of weeks ago, confirmed that eligible iPhones will be getting a firmware update in the month of December which will enable 5G connectivity. To those unaware, a total of 13 models available in the country support 5G connectivity.
List of 5G-enabled iPhone Models
There are currently 13 Apple smartphones that support 5G but need an update from Apple to enable it. These models have been launched in/after 2020 and support 5G connectivity. The company has already confirmed the 5G firmware rollout for the following devices,
- 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 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone SE (3rd Generation)
Apple to Test 5G on iPhones in India Soon
Now, a new report by Economic Times reveals that Apple will begin testing the 5G connectivity on Apple iPhone and to that effect it will roll out a firmware update this week which will enable 5G connectivity on eligible models. Readers must note that the update will be rolled out as a part of the iOS 16 Beta program, so it will only be available for users running iOS 16.1 Beta on their iPhones.
The report further reveals that Apple executives will soon meet members of the Department of Telecommunications as well as the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to inform them about the iOS 16 Public Beta firmware rollout. Apple will be rolling out support for both Airtel 5G Plus and Jio True 5G with the upcoming iOS 16 Public Beta update.
To those unaware, Airtel 5G Plus services are now available as part of early access in 8 cities including Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Varanasi. Airtel’s biggest competitor, Jio has made its True 5G available in four cities. The list includes Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Varanasi.
Also Read: How to Activate 5G Network on Your Android & Apple iPhones, List of Supported Devices
If you own any of the iPhones mentioned in the list above and are want to test 5G on your iPhone before everyone else, you may consider switching it to iOS 16 Beta. However, keep in mind that Beta firmware versions are not as good as regular builds and might affect day to day performance and stability of the device. In case you’re willing to switch to iOS 16 Beta, you may head over to this link and signup for the beta program. With that said, we would not advise you to switch to the iOS 16 public beta on your primary device.
Do you own any of the eligible iPhone models? If yes, are you willing to switch to iOS 16 Beta to get early access to the 5G network? Do let us know in the comments section.
