5G Rollout: Apple, Samsung Confirm December Timeline for Update to Enable 5G Support in India

Apple is set to push software upgrades to recent models, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 and iPhone SE (2022) to enable 5G support in India.

By Reuters | Updated: 12 October 2022 13:36 IST

5G Rollout: Apple, Samsung Confirm December Timeline for Update to Enable 5G Support in India

Apple said it would push software upgrades to recent models including iPhone 14

Highlights

iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone 12 do not support 5G network currently
5G will be enabled via a software update
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services on October 1

Apple and Samsung Electronics will upgrade software for their 5G-enabled phones in India by December, the companies said on Wednesday, as Indian authorities press mobile phone manufacturers to adopt the high-speed network.

The company said it would push software upgrades to recent models, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 and iPhone SE, which, industry sources say, do not support the network currently.

"We are working with our 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," Apple said in a statement.

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"5G will be enabled via a software update and will start rolling out to iPhone users in December."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services on October 1 amid much fanfare, with leading telecom operator Reliance Jio saying it would make the service available in four cities and rival Bharti Airtel in eight.

A Samsung India spokesperson said the company would roll out updates across all its 5G devices by mid-November.

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Top bureaucrats from India's telecoms and IT departments will chair a meeting on Wednesday for early 5G adoption, asking executives from Apple, Samsung, Vivo and Xiaomi, as well as domestic telecom operators Reliance, Airtel and Vodafone Idea to be present, according to a government document seen by Reuters.

On Tuesday, PTI reported that secretaries of both the DoT and Ministry of Electronics and IT will chair the meeting to discuss teething 5G issues. The authorities will discuss the intervention of handset manufacturers and telecom operators to release software updates for all 5G handsets and prioritise the software upgrade for the adoption of 5G in India.

Bharti Airtel is the only operator to have commercially launched 5G services while Jio has started beta trials.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

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iPhone 14

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Good overall performance
Great camera quality in daylight
iOS ecosystem and ease of use

Bad
Dated design and notch
Very similar to iPhone 13
Relatively slow charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 14 review

Display 6.06-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 13

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Great performance
Versatile cameras
Sharp, bright display
Good battery life

Bad
Standard display refresh rate, intrusive notch
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 13 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 15

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 12

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Very good build quality
Dolby Vision HDR video recording
Excellent cameras
Smooth performance in everyday use

Bad
Battery life could be better
Gets warm when stressed

Read detailed Apple iPhone 12 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A14 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB

OS iOS 14

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone SE (2022)

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Powerful SoC
IP67 rating, wireless charging
Slim and light
Regular software updates

Bad
Small, low-res display
Gets warm when stressed
Average low-light camera performance
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone SE (2022) review

Display 4.70-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB, 128GB, 256GB

OS iOS 15

Resolution 750x1334 pixels

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