Google Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro to offer 5G in India this quarter

Google launched the new Pixel 7 and 7 Pro smartphones, along with the Pixel 6a without 5G support in India and now Google has confirmed that a 5G-enabling OTA update is coming sometime in Q1 2023. The initial timeline for this was December. In a statement, the company reportedly said that it is currently working closely with Indian carriers to enable the next-generation connectivity and comply with the local regulations as well as standards.

While the company didn’t share a more specific timeline, it did say that the update enabling 5G connectivity on the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones will arrive sometime between January 2023 and March 2023.

Google is among the remaining handful of companies that is yet to roll out support for 5G connectivity in India. Companies such as Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo and Vivo have already rolled out support for 5G connectivity on their 5G-enabled smartphones in India. More recently, Apple rolled out an over-the-air (OTA) update enabling 5G connectivity on the iPhone 12 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 14 series and the iPhone SE 2022.

Reliance Jio recently announced a partnership with Xiaomi India today. As a part of this partnership, Jio will bring its True 5G network to Xiaomi smartphones. With this, Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone users will be able to access Jio’s standalone 5G network on all the eligible devices in the cities across the country where the service is available.

The telecom operator said that to access its True 5G network, Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones with 5G-enabled devices need to change the preferred network type to 5G in the Settings app on their smartphones. Alternatively, Xiaomi and Redmi device owners can also follow this thread to enable 5G connectivity on their smartphones: Settings app > Mobile Network > Preferred Network Type > Prefer 5G.

Currently, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are the two telecom service providers in India that are rolling out support for their 5G network in cities across the country.