Vi announces 5G support on Xiaomi, Redmi phones but no launch date yet

Vi (formerly Vodafone Idea) and Xiaomi Wednesday announced they have partnered to make the telecom operator’s upcoming 5G services available on select Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones. Both companies claim that as many as 18 Xiaomi and Redmi phones have been successfully tested on Vi 5G and a FOTA update will be all that will be needed for the commercial rollout. Also Read: Xiaomi HyperOS 3 Update Based On Android 16 Rolls Out: Check Eligible Phones, Tablets, Features, More

As a part of the partnership, the following phones will be able to connect to Vi 5G in the future: Also Read: iQOO Neo 11 Display Details Revealed, May Launch Alongside iQOO 15 On October 20

— Xiaomi 13 Pro
–Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G
— Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
— Redmi Note 12 5G
— Xiaomi 12 Pro
— Mi 11 Ultra
— Mi 11X Pro
— Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G
— Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G
— Redmi 11 Prime 5G
— Redmi K50i
— Redmi Note 11T 5G
— Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
— Mi 11X
— Mi 10
— Mi 10T
— Mi 10T Pro
— Mi 10i Also Read: Redmi K90 Pro To Feature Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Likely To Launch In November

As and when Vi begins rolling out 5G services, users of the aforementioned phones will need to install an update. However, it is unclear if the software update will be available right away or if it will appear only around the rollout timeline of Vi’s 5G services.

“In pursuit of a connected tomorrow and to unlock the boundless potential of 5G in India, Xiaomi and Vi are coming together to empower their consumers with an unfiltered 5G network on their devices,” said Vi and Xiaomi in a joint statement. The 5G testing on Xiaomi and Redmi phones was done in New Delhi.

Vi, however, did not share a timeline for the 5G rollout yet. Vi was among the telecom operators that announced the 5G rollout in India last year during the India Mobile Congress in October. While Reliance Jio and Airtel claim to have rolled out their 5G services in around 500 cities so far, Vi has not shared a timeline, let alone started the rollout. But the telecom company has been testing its 5G network in most urban locations in India.