Apple Is Bringing 5G for iPhone Users in India—but There’s a Catch

A worker sanitises an Apple store inside a shopping mall reopened after the government eased a nationwide lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus, in Chennai, India, on Sept. 1, 2020. Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images

iPhone users in India would soon be able to enjoy 5G services on their devices.

What Happened

There has been some confusion regarding the availability of the 5G network on Apple Inc. devices in India.

Airtel, one of India’s telecommunications services companies, has now said that iPhone users in the country would soon be able to access its 5G networks, according to a report in the Indian Express.

“5G on iPhone is not working yet because Apple has to open it,” Airtel’s Chief Technology Officer Randeep Sekhon the publication, adding that the Cupertino-based tech giant is “promising to open it soon.”

“Apple is currently testing 5G in India; we have set up special networks for them to test,” Sekhon told the publication.

Why It’s Important

Airtel’s 5G services are currently available on 5G-ready smartphones from all major manufacturers, barring the iPhone, the publication states.

By the end of this year, iPhone sales in India are expected to cross the seven-million mark, according to a Teharc report.

The report noted that only the iPhone series newer than the iPhone 12—including the iPhone 13 range, iPhone 14 and the cost-effective iPhone SE3—would support 5G networks.

China and the United States are considerably ahead of other countries when it comes to 5G adoption. The United States has 296 cities, where 5G services are successfully functioning, preceded by China with 356 cities, according to data from Statista.

By Ananya Gairola

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