Apple, Samsung, Google reveal 5G update timeline for phones in India

5G update is slated to come to Samsung phones in November, whereas iPhones and Pixel mobiles will get it in December

Last week, Airtel and Reliance Jio commenced the 5G telecommunication service in several cities in India. But, very few Android phones from Xiaomi, Realme, and OnePlus are able to support the next-generation cellular network.

While Samsung, Apple, Asus, Motorola, Google, and others are yet to roll out the new update to enable 5G on their phones.

Now, three major companies -- Apple, Google, and Samsung have revealed the timeline to deploy the 5G update to their devices phone in India.

"Samsung has pioneered 5G technology development since 2009 and took the leading role in standardizing 5G technology globally. In India, Samsung has the widest portfolio of 5G devices. 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.

Samsung phones eligible to get 5G update include-- Galaxy Note 20ultra, Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21plus, Galaxy S21ultra, Galaxy Z fold 2, Galaxy F42, Galaxy A52s, Galaxy M52, Galaxy Z Flip3, Galaxy Fold3, Galaxy A22 5G, Galaxy S20FE 5G, Galaxy M32 5G, Galaxy F23, Galaxy A73, Galaxy M42, Galaxy M53, and Galaxy M13.

In most of the speed tests conducted in cities where 5G is available, people have been able to experience up to 1Gbps download speed. With this, there will be low latency when playing cloud-based gaming and also literally no buffering while streaming HDR or full HD videos on Over-The-Top (OTP) multimedia apps on the phone.

Google and Apple have said they will be releasing the 5G update to their devices in December.

“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 are completed. 5G will be enabled via a software update and will start rolling out to iPhone users in December,” Apple said.

Apple will release 5G updates to the iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone SE 3rd Gen, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro, iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max.

“Pixel 7, 7 Pro, and Pixel 6a are 5G capable devices. We are actively working with the Indian carriers to enable functionality at the earliest. Our current target is to enable 5G capabilities as part of our December Feature Drop,” Google said.

Must read | 5G cellular service in India: Key aspects you should know

Most of the Xiaomi phones come with both SA (StandAlone) / NSA (Non-StandAlone) 5G support. And, People with Airtel SIMs are enjoying 5G Plus service around eight cities in India. But, those with the Jio SIM, wherein it connects with only the 5G SA infrastructure, have to wait for the software update. So, Xiaomi is working with the company to ensure faster implementation.

Must read | Airtel to give 5G benefits to 4G users till full rollout

"At Xiaomi India, we are completely aligned with the government’s vision of propelling 5G adoption in the country. Currently, 100% of our 5G smartphone models support the NSA network out of the box, wherein users can choose 'Prefer 5G' in network settings to connect to the 5G network. Whereas, for seamless SA support, we have already started rolling out the FOTA updates to select devices like Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G, Mi 11X Pro, Xiaomi 11i, and Xiaomi 11i Hypercharge, among others. Most devices will start receiving OTA updates by Diwali," said Muralikrishnan B, president, of Xiaomi India.

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