Despite putting billion-dollar research behind their latest phones and equipping them with state-of-the-art technology, Apple and Samsung’s latest smartphones still do not have 5G compatibility.
5G services were launched Pan-India on October 1st, 2022, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with major telecom operator RJIL201021 Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. amid much apprehension and reservations by the experts regarding the project and its future.
The rollout of 5G in the nation, the second-largest mobile market in the world (after China) would provide users with super-fast internet while also having positive socioeconomic implications on industries like agriculture and health.
A high-level meeting of India’s top bureaucrats of the telecom and IT departments will take place on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, considering a preponement for the 5G roll-out in the country. Top executives from companies such as Google, Xiaomi, Samsung, Apple, and Vivo are said to be present for the meeting, as per a government document seen by Reuters.
According to industry insiders and the website of Airtel, Apple’s iPhone models, including the most recent iPhone 14, and many of Samsung’s top smartphones, do not have software suited for enabling 5G in India.
Airtel’s website states “Apple yet to update software” including all the smartphones from Apple iPhone 12 to 14, under the 5G compatibility section. Many models of Android-powered Samsung were also not ready for use with 5G facilities.
In a $19 billion 5G spectrum auction in August, Reliance Jio, the largest mobile network in India with over 420 million subscribers, purchased airwaves worth $11 billion. While Vodafone gave away more than $2 billion, Airtel spent more than $5 billion.
The sheer incompetence shown by the leading tech giants has irked the users including Vijay Shankar Sharma, CEO of Paytm, India’s leading digital payments company, who called out Airtel and Google, seeking 5G compatibility from the network provider and the smartphone manufacturer.
The notice for the private meeting indicated that the itinerary included having discussions “to prioritize” and releasing software improvements for supporting the high-speed network.
As the discussion between the telecom and smartphone company takes place, the general public still awaits the lightning-fast 5G technology.
