Apple Reportedly Set to Roll Out iPhone 5G Support in India in December [Updated] - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Reportedly Set to Roll Out iPhone 5G Support in India in December [Updated]

by

Apple will add support for 5G on compatible iPhones for Indian carriers through a software update as soon as December, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to ET News.

iphone 12 5g
According to the publication, Apple and the Indian carrier Airtel will meet this week to discuss why Apple's iPhones are not compatible with India's 5G networks. Apple is reportedly already testing 5G support on iPhones in Mumbai and New Delhi, with an update officially adding support possibly being rolled out in December, the report said, citing a source.

A separate report from Reuters says the Indian government is placing pressure on Apple and Samsung to adopt 5G support for their latest smartphones. Apple first added support for 5G with the iPhone 12 in 2020, and two years later, Indian iPhone customers are still unable to use the newer and faster network. On Wednesday, the Indian government, alongside executives from Apple, Samsung, and leading carriers in the country, will meet "to prioritize" adding support for 5G on the latest smartphones.

Update: In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple has confirmed it will release a software update in December to add support for 5G on compatible iPhones for Indian carriers.

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.

Tags: 5G, India

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Read Full Article • 25 comments
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
Read Full Article • 46 comments
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...
Read Full Article • 85 comments

Top Rated Comments

AMagicianNamedJOBs Avatar
AMagicianNamedJOBs
45 months ago
They’re not missing much. 5G was completely overhyped, the leap from 3G to 4G brought the real mobile revolution IMO.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
Kottu
45 months ago
In certain places within city limits I get 5G in my 12PM since last year in Sweden. Speed varies between 60 mbps to 1600 mbps. But is it gonna be a revolution for most of us? I am satisfied with 4G in my mobile as I don't play games with need of low latency. At home I have fiber. I can understand the need of 5G for people who don't/can't have fiber at home and need a faster connection.

Apple knew that India is rolling out 5G in October. So, they should have prepared to support their customers at once. Especially when low priced Chinese phones support 5G from the day one!
In India 4G speeds are low so 5G will make things much easier as it can accommodate more connections than 4G. For many in India mobile is their modem, router etc..
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
CarAnalogy
45 months ago

“Apple and the Indian carrier Airtel will meet this week to discuss why Apple's iPhones are not compatible with India's 5G networks.”

Simple, it’s not supported because of a conditional statement in the code. 😉
Yeah I don’t understand why they are meeting like they are trying to solve a mystery. The network operator in question is not certified in iOS, just like Google Fi. End of story. As for why, it’s usually a business decision not to pay Apple to certify it, which is why Google Fi is not certified.

So as usual the answer to just about everything that doesn’t make sense is “money.”
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleTO Avatar
AppleTO
45 months ago
“Apple and the Indian carrier Airtel will meet this week to discuss why Apple's iPhones are not compatible with India's 5G networks.”

Simple, it’s not supported because of a conditional statement in the code. 😉
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
svish
45 months ago
Don't think there is any urgency as it will take some time before 5G coverage is actually available everywhere across the country. But hopefully Apple issues a software update and enables 5G
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
R
RajBan
45 months ago

Strange. Why does the phone need a software update to use Indian 5G networks? Surely it would just be a carrier version update? Does anyone know the technical reason behind this?
They have disabled the 5g selection in India. As someone commented it's most likely some conditional statements coupled with config items that needs to be changed and a patch needs to be pushed for India devices. Probably they wanted to avoid 5G as an option due to lack of commercial provider to avoid unnecessary customer selections.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments