No, OnePlus 9 series will not support more 5G bands in India via OTA update

Also read: OnePlus phones to get an official Theme Store with Android 12 update

OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, and 9R won't get support for more 5G bands in the future

OnePlus, in a reply to a tweet, has confirmed today that it cannot add support for more 5G bands to the OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, and the OnePlus 9R through a software update. The brand has apologized for its earlier confirmation that such a thing was possible. According to the company, it cannot add support for more 5G bands to these smartphones due to the hardware limitations of these devices.

The OnePlus 9 Pro supports a lot more 5G bands in the US (N1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78) compared to the Indian variant of the smartphone. It could mean that the brand has used a different modem for the OnePlus 9 series smartphones in the country. OnePlus could have taken this step to cut down on the manufacturing costs of these smartphones for the Indian market. Whatever the case, people are quite furious about this decision from the company.

5G network could be available in India soon

Currently, India does not have a 5G network. However, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has recently given a go-ahead to telecom companies in India to test the 5G network in the country. Therefore, everyone is expecting the 5G network to roll out in the Indian market soon.

We are yet to see which 5G bands will telecom operators use in India. If they go with the N41 and the N78 bands, the OnePlus 9 users will be in luck. If the telecom companies decide to use any other bands apart from the N41 and the N78, it will be a huge bummer for the OnePlus 9 users in the country as they won't be able to experience the 5G network.

Flagships from Samsung and Apple support more 5G bands

OnePlus isn't the only brand that is offering support for only two 5G bands with its smartphones. The Vivo X60, X60 Pro, and the X60 Pro+ also support only two 5G bands. There are many other brands that are opting for this strategy.

Only Samsung and Apple don't seem to be compromising in this aspect. The recently launched Galaxy S21 Ultra supports as many as 13 5G bands in India including N1, N3, N5, N7, N8, N20, N28, N66, N38, N40, N41, N77, N78. The same is the case with the iPhone 12 series smartphones. No wonder why flagship smartphones from big brands like Samsung and Apple cost more than those from OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo, and others.