Apple’s iOS 16.2 RC Release Brings Support for 5G Networks to iPhone Users in India

Apple on Wednesday released iOS 16.2 RC to developers and beta testers, with a full release expected sometime this month. The update adds new features like Apple's Infinity Notes app, the new HomeKit architecture, and Apple Music Sing. In addition, iOS 16.2 also enables support for 5G networks for iPhone users in India.

 

Until now, iPhone users in India were unable to connect to the country's 5G network because iOS did not support it. The Indian government pushed Apple to enable 5G support in India, and the company confirmed in November that it would do so through a software update. Now with the launch of iOS 16.2 RC, Apple is finally enabling 5G for iPhones in India.

 

 

While the official release notes for iOS 16.2 make no mention of 5G support in India, iPhone users who have already installed the update have been able to confirm the change. Once the update is installed, users can enable 5G in the iPhone Settings app.

 

Of course, connecting to 5G networks in India requires a compatible iPhone and carrier. iPhone SE 3, iPhone 12, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 users will be able to connect to 5G networks in India, and customers on Airtel or Jio carriers will support 5G as long as they subscribe to a package that supports 5G networks.

 

Beyond that, India is a growing market for Apple. The company cited strong growth in the country in its quarterly earnings report last week, and one of Apple's reseller partners in India also recently reported strong profit growth due to high demand for orders of iPhones and MacBooks.

 

Redington Limited, India's largest distributor of Apple and IT products, reported Thursday that profits jumped 26 percent in September on strong domestic demand for cell phones, laptops, and software. Consolidated profit for the three months ended Sept. 30 climbed to 3.87 billion Indian rupees (about 329 million yuan) from 3.07 billion rupees a year ago, the company said in a trading filing. The iPhone reseller's quarterly revenue rose to INR190.51 billion (about 16.174 billion yuan) from INR152.87 billion a year ago, according to the filing. Apple was its largest single supplier, accounting for 27 percent of revenue.