5G, the next-gen network service that promises over 500 Mbps download speeds, was officially rolled out in India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) earlier this month. As part of a pilot, 5G services are initially only made available in four cities — Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Varanasi. While 5G services are only accessible on 5G-compatible handsets, users with such devices have been complaining of missing an essential software update that will enable 5G access on their smartphones. Apple has now offered a statement on when iPhone users can expect the 5G software update.
Apple said in a statement that it is working with carrier partners in India to offer the “best 5G experience” to iOS users “as soon as network validation and testing for quality and performance is completed.”
“5G will be enabled via a software update and will start rolling out to iPhone users in December,” the Cupertino tech giant said.
Apple usually takes its time to test the waters before rolling out major updates so as to ensure a smooth experience for iPhone users.
Speaking of Android, even top OEMs such as Samsung and Xiaomi are yet to release a 5G support update for their smartphones in India as well. Top bureaucrats from the country’s telecoms and IT departments are set to hold a meeting today with handset makers such as Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi, as well as telcos such as Airtel, Jio, and Vi to “prioritise” the release of 5G software updates for compatible handsets.
As per 5G speed tests by Ookla, Jio's 5G network has shown a top median download speed of close to 600 Mbps, while Bharti Airtel's network has posted a top speed of about 516 Mbps.
The Ookla report, based on the data collected from Speedtest Intelligence, showed 5G speed variation between low double-digits (16.27 Mbps) to 809.94 Mbps, which the firm said is an indication of ongoing network calibration for the 5G service. While the 5G services were officially launched on October 1, Ookla has taken measurements since June 2022.
"In Delhi, Airtel reached nearly 200 Mbps median download speed at 197.98 Mbps while Jio almost broke 600 Mbps (598.58 Mbps) in June 2022," the report said.
This means a two-hour high-definition movie which is generally around 6 GB file size can be downloaded in 1 minute 25 seconds and a 4K movie in about 3 minutes at a top speed of 600 Mbps.
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Bharti Airtel has started rolling out 5G services in eight cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi. Jio has started beta trials in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi.
Airtel's network showed a top median speed of 516.57 Mbps in Varanasi.
In Kolkata, operators' median download speeds varied the most since June 2022 — Airtel's median download speed was 33.83 Mbps compared to Jio's 482.02 Mbps.
In Mumbai, Airtel reached 271.07 Mbps median download speed as against Jio's 515.38 Mbps.
In Varanasi, Jio and Airtel achieved closer parity, with Airtel achieving a 5G median download speed of 516.57 Mbps while Jio's network recorded a median download speed of 485.22 Mbps since June 2022.