iPhone users in India will finally be able to take advantage of 5G connectivity starting next week. In a statement to The IndianExpress, Apple confirmed that a new beta of iOS 16.2 next week will bring 5G support to iPhone users in India using Airtel or Jio networks.
Apple has faced pressure from the Indian government to launch 5G support for iPhone users in the country. The company conceded a few weeks ago, saying that it would roll out 5G support with a software update in December. Apple has now confirmed that iOS 16.2 will include 5G support in India, and beta users will be able to try it out next week.
This updated timeline from Apple on 5G support in India also effectively confirms that iOS 16.2 will be available to everyone in December. This was previously reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who says that iOS 16.2 is slated for a mid-December release.
Apple users on Airtel and Jio who participate in the Beta Software Program will be able to try out 5G after the update next week. The Apple Beta Software Program lets users try out pre-release software and experience the latest features before the software becomes publicly available.
India represents a growing market for Apple; the company touted strong growth in the country during its quarterly earnings report last week. One of Apple’s reseller partners in India also recently reported strong profit growth due to high demand for iPhone and MacBook orders.
iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 users will be able to connect to 5G networks in India, as well as iPhone SE 3 users. The feature will be supported by customers of Airtel or Jio carriers so long as they are subscribed to a plan that supports 5G networking.
India’s biggest Apple and IT products distributor Redington Ltd on Thursday reported a 26% jump in September quarter profit on the back of buoyant domestic demand for phones, laptops and software.
Consolidated profit for the three months ended Sept. 30 climbed to 3.87 billion rupees ($46.76 million) from 3.07 billion rupees a year ago, the company said in an exchange filing. The iPhone reseller’s quarterly revenue rose to 190.51 billion rupees from 152.87 billion rupees a year ago, per the filing. Apple, its single largest vendor, accounted for 27% of the revenue.
