Google Pixel 7 series, as well as Pixel 6a users in India, can't use 5G yet. The search engine giant earlier said that it is working on rolling out 5G for its three devices, including Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 6a. Now, Google has confirmed that in the first quarter of 2023, the OTA (over-the-air) update for 5G support will be provided to the Pixel 7 series devices and the Pixel 6a. Note that most major smartphones now support 5G in India. This also includes the iPhones after the iOS 16.2 update. So with the new year, Google Pixel users will also be able to use 5G on their smartphones.
The Pixel 6a, as well as the Pixel 7 series, was released in India in 2022. After several years, Google decided to launch its flagship smartphone series in India. Even though the devices have the necessary hardware to support 5G, an OTA update is required to switch it on. For the past few months, Google has been working with Indian telecom operators to enable 5G support for Pixel smartphones.
Google has just said that the support for 5G for Pixel smartphones would come in the first quarter of 2023. The company has not confirmed a fixed date for the release of the OTA update. It is a little disappointing for Pixel users in India as other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have already added support for 5G for their devices.
Pixel smartphones, despite being in the premium range, can't support 5G yet in India. The Indian telecom operators have rolled 5G in more than 60 towns of India now. The availability of 5G is going to shoot up almost across India by the end of 2023. Much recently, Jio launched 5G in several cities of the country, while Airtel also made a series of announcements related to the 5G launch in late December.
