Two of the biggest telecom companies in India, Reliance Jio and Airtel, have silently launched their 5G network operations. Ultimately, it will boil down to a battle of Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G, considering the competition in the market. Having said that, which 5G network would be the best for you? Reliance Jio has had a good track record of introducing network connectivity in the country at reduced rates. On the other hand, Airtel has been around for decades and has provided exceptional service in all corners of the country. So, if you’re shifting to a 5G network, which one should be the most suitable for you? Here, we’re going to take a look at all the aspects of both 5G networks, including price, speeds, and supported handsets, to find out who wins this battle.
So, are you ready to determine the winner of Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G? Without further delay, let’s get started!
Jio 5G Launch Date
Jio True 5G was launched on October 5, 2022.
Also read: 5 Best 5G Mobile Phones In India October 2022
Airtel 5G Launch Date
Airtel 5G Plus was launched following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise of 5G availability from October 1, 2022. However, it commenced its 5G operations on the backend in August 2022.
Jio 5G Launch Cities
Jio 5G is currently available only in four major Indian cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Varanasi. Of course, there are plans in place to expand 5G coverage nationwide by the end of 2023.
Also read: Airtel 5G Availability: Activation, Supported Mobiles, And All You Should Know!
Airtel 5G Launch Cities
Airtel 5G can be used in eight cities, twice as many as that of Jio 5G. These cities are Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi, and Gurugram. Airtel has also promised that it will provide nationwide 5G coverage by the end of 2023.
Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G Speeds
Before we get into the internet speed of both these networks, we have to understand that there’s a significant difference between the two. Jio 5G uses a standalone architecture which doesn’t have to piggyback on existing 4G infrastructure. This allows it to deliver faster speeds than non-standalone network deployment 5G. Interestingly, Airtel 5G uses the latter and has to utilise the existing 4G infrastructure in the country to provide 5G services.
A significant reason for this is the budget that Reliance Jio has in its hands. When it comes to 5G, there are two aspects which are the most important – coverage and speeds. Either will fall apart without the other. If you’re in an area with great 5G coverage but lacks speed, it defeats the purpose of 5G. On the other hand, if your 5G is fast but only in a particular area, it takes away from 5G’s supposed ubiquitous nature.
Reliance Jio spent quite a bit of money, approximately over half of INR 88,000 crore, on acquiring 10Mhz of the 700Mhz spectrum. This band is one of the best in terms of speed but is highly expensive as well. Airtel has stayed away from this spectrum due to the costs. Instead, Airtel spent most of its budget on acquiring mid-band spectrums. Moreover, they don’t have a standalone infrastructure.
With Jio acquiring the 700Mhz band for coverage, 3.5Ghz band for capacity, and 26Ghz mmWave band for extra internet speed, Jio is bound to deliver higher speeds.
Coming to the speed tests, here’s what we have:
A broadband speed research from Ookla has stated that Jio 5G speeds are pretty high, with a median speed of 600Mbps. For Airtel, the 5G network topped off at 516Mbps.
Furthermore, in Delhi, Airtel reached a median speed of 200Mbps, while Jio almost went past the 600Mbps mark.
Also read: Jio 5G Availability: Launch, Prices, And Everything You Should Know!
Jio 5G Plan Prices
Jio True 5G will be available with unlimited 5G data and speeds of up to 1Gbps. This will be available on all prepaid and postpaid plans priced INR 239 and above. However, trying Jio 5G requires an invite-only Jio Welcome Offer. You’ll find the banner for this offer in the MyJio app if you’re eligible for it. Additionally, Reliance has stated that Jio 5G is currently in the beta phase.
Airtel 5G Plan Prices
Since Airtel 5G rollout isn’t completed yet, Airtel is pricing the 5G plans quite aggressively. This implies that 5G will be available on 5G-compatible smartphones and 4G SIM cards at the current price of 4G plans. We don’t expect Airtel to charge a premium on 5G plans yet, as it can result in lower revenue per user.
Jio 5G Supported Smartphones
Although Reliance Jio hasn’t mentioned any specific brand or smartphone model that will support the Jio 5G network, we have compiled a list of all the phones that can support it. You can check it out in the table below:
Realme | Samsung | Xiaomi | Apple (software update pending) | iQOO | OnePlus | Oppo | Vivo |
Realme 8S 5G | Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | Xiaomi Mi 10 | Apple iPhone 12 Mini | iQOO 7 | OnePlus Nord | Oppo Reno 5G Pro | Vivo X50 Pro |
Realme X7 Max 5G | Samsung A33 5G | Xiaomi Mi 10i | Apple iPhone 12 | iQOO 3 5G | OnePlus 9 | Oppo Reno 6 | Vivo V20 Pro |
Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | Xiaomi Mi 10T | Apple iPhone 12 Pro | iQOO 7 Legend | OnePlus 9 Pro | Oppo Reno 6 Pro | Vivo X60 Pro+ |
Realme X7 5G | Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | iQOO Z3 | OnePlus Nord CE | Oppo F19 Pro Plus | Vivo X60 |
Realme X7 Pro 5G | Samsung Galaxy M33 | Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (K1) | Apple iPhone 13 Mini | iQOO 9 Pro | OnePlus Nord CE 2 | Oppo A53s | Vivo X60 Pro |
Realme 8 5G | Samsung Flip4 | Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro | Apple iPhone 13 | iQOO 9 | OnePlus 10 Pro 5G | Oppo A74 | Vivo V21 5G |
Realme X50 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S22 | Xiaomi Mi 11X | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | iQOO 9 SE | OnePlus Nord CE Lite 2 | Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G | Vivo V21e |
Realme GT 5G | Samsung Galaxy S22+ | Xiaomi POCO M3 Pro 5G | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | iQOO Z6 | OnePlus 10R | Oppo F21 Pro 5G | Vivo X70 Pro |
Realme GT ME | Samsung Fold4 | Xiaomi POCO F3 GT | Apple iPhone SE 2022 | iQOO 9T | OnePlus Nord 2T | Oppo Reno7 | Vivo X70 Pro+ |
Realme GT NEO 2 | Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (software update pending) | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite NE (K9D) | Apple iPhone 14 | OnePlus 10T | Oppo Reno 8 | Vivo iQOO Z5 5G | |
Realme 9 5G | Samsung Galaxy S21 (software update pending) | Xiaomi K16A Redmi Note 11T 5G | Apple iPhone 14 Plus | OnePlus 8 (software update pending) | Oppo Reno 8 Pro | Vivo Y72 5G | |
Realme 9 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus (software update pending) | Xiaomi K3S Xiaomi 11T Pro | Apple iPhone 14 Pro | OnePlus 8T (software update pending) | Oppo K10 5G | Vivo V23 5G | |
Realme 9 Pro Plus | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (software update pending) | Xiaomi K16 Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max | OnePlus 8 Pro (software update pending) | Oppo F21s Pro 5G | Vivo V23 Pro 5G | |
Realme Narzo 30 5G | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 (software update pending) | Xiaomi Redmi Note 10T | OnePlus 9RT (software update pending) | Vivo V23e 5G | |||
Realme 9 SE | Samsung F42 (software update pending) | Xiaomi K6S (Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus) | OnePlus Nord 2 (software update pending) | Vivo T1 5G | |||
Realme GT2 | Samsung A52s (software update pending) | Xiaomi POCO M4 5G | OnePlus 9R (software update pending) | Vivo Y75 5G | |||
Realme GT 2 pro | Samsung M52 (software update pending) | Xiaomi POCO M4 Pro 5G | Vivo T1 Pro | ||||
Realme GT NEO 3 | Samsung Flip3 (software update pending) | Xiaomi 12 Pro | Vivo X80 | ||||
Realme Narzo 50 5G | Samsung Fold3 (software update pending) | Xiaomi 11i | Vivo X80 Pro | ||||
Realme Narzo 50 Pro | Samsung A22 5G (software update pending) | Xiaomi Redimi 11 Prime + 5G (L19) | Vivo V25 | ||||
Samsung S20FE 5G (software update pending) | Xiaomi Poco F4 5G | Vivo V25 Pro | |||||
Samsung M32 5G (software update pending) | Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro | Vivo Y55 5G | |||||
Samsung F23 (software update pending) | Xiaomi Redmi K50i | Vivo Y55S 5G | |||||
Samsung A73 (software update pending) | |||||||
Samsung M42 (software update pending) | |||||||
Samsung M53 (software update pending) | |||||||
Samsung M13 (software update pending) |
Also read: 5 Best 5G Mobile Phones Under 15000 In India
Airtel 5G Supported Smartphones
Airtel has released a list of smartphones and brands that can support its current 5G network. You can take a look at the table below:
Samsung | Apple (software update pending) | OnePlus | iQOO | vivo | Oppo | Xiaomi | Realme |
Samsung Galaxy A53 5G | Apple iPhone 12 Mini | OnePlus Nord | iQOO 3 5G | vivo X50 Pro | Oppo Reno 5G Pro | Xiaomi Mi 10 | Realme 8S 5G |
Samsung A33 5G | Apple iPhone 12 | OnePlus 9 | iQOO 7 | vivo V20 Pro | Oppo Reno 6 | Xiaomi Mi 10i | Realme X7 Max 5G |
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE | Apple iPhone 12 Pro | OnePlus 9 Pro | iQOO 7 Legend | vivo X60 Pro+ | Oppo Reno 6 Pro | Xiaomi Mi 10T | Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G |
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max | OnePlus Nord CE | iQOO Z3 | vivo X60 | Oppo F19 Pro Plus | Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro | Realme X7 5G |
Samsung Galaxy M33 | Apple iPhone 13 Mini | OnePlus Nord CE 2 | iQOO Z5 5G | vivo X60 Pro | Oppo A53s | Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra | Realme X7 Pro 5G |
Samsung Flip4 | Apple iPhone 13 | OnePlus 10 PRO 5G | iQOO 9 Pro | vivo V21 5G | Oppo A74 | Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro | Realme 8 5G |
Samsung Galaxy S22 | Apple iPhone 13 Pro | OnePlus Nord CE Lite 2 | iQOO 9 | vivo V21e | Oppo Reno 7 Pro 5G | Xiaomi Mi 11X | Realme X50 Pro |
Samsung Galaxy S22+ | Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max | OnePlus 10R | iQOO 9 SE | vivo X70 Pro | Oppo F21 Pro 5G | Poco M3 Pro 5G | Realme GT 5G |
Samsung Fold4 | Apple iPhone SE 2022 | OnePlus Nord 2T | iQOO Z6 | vivo X70 Pro+ | Oppo Reno 7 | Poco F3 GT | Realme GT ME |
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra | Apple iPhone 14 | OnePlus 10T | iQOO 9T | vivo Y72 5G | Oppo Reno 8 | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite NE | Realme GT NEO 2 |
Samsung Galaxy S21 | Apple iPhone 14 Plus | OnePlus 9RT | vivo V23 5G | Oppo Reno 8 Pro | Xiaomi Redmi Note 11T 5G | Realme 9 5G | |
Samsung Galaxy S21plus | Apple iPhone 14 Pro | OnePlus 8 | vivo V23 Pro 5G | Oppo K10 5G | Xiaomi 11T Pro | Realme 9 Pro | |
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (software update pending) | Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max | OnePlus 8T (software update pending) | vivo V23e 5G | Oppo F21s Pro 5G | Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge | Realme 9 Pro Plus | |
Samsung Galaxy Z fold 2 (software update pending) | OnePlus 8 Pro (software update pending) | vivo T1 5G | Xiaomi Redmi Note 10T | Realme Narzo 30 5G | |||
Samsung F42 (software update pending) | OnePlus Nord 2 (software update pending) | vivo Y75 5G | Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus | Realme 9 SE | |||
Samsung A52s (software update pending) | OnePlus 9R (software update pending) | vivo T1 Pro | Poco M4 5G | Realme GT 2 | |||
Samsung M52 (software update pending) | vivo X80 | Poco M4 Pro 5G | Realme GT 2 Pro | ||||
Samsung Flip3 (software update pending) | vivo X80 Pro | Xiaomi 12 Pro | Realme GT NEO 3 | ||||
Samsung Fold3 (software update pending) | vivo V25 | Xiaomi 11i | Realme Narzo 50 5G | ||||
Samsung A22 5G (software update pending) | vivo V25 Pro | Xiaomi Redmi 11 Prime + 5G | Realme Narzo 50 Pro | ||||
Samsung S20FE 5G (software update pending) | vivo Y55 5G | Poco F4 5G | Realme 9i GT | ||||
Samsung M32 5G (software update pending) | vivo Y55s 5G | Poco X4 Pro | Realme GT Neo 3T | ||||
Samsung F23 (software update pending) | Xiaomi Redmi K50i | Realme GT Neo 3T 150W | |||||
Samsung A73 (software update pending) | |||||||
Samsung M42 (software update pending) | |||||||
Samsung M53 (software update pending) | |||||||
Samsung M13 (software update pending) |
Jio 5G Bands In India
Reliance Jio has specified that Jio 5G will be available in three bands:
- n28 (700Mhz)
- n78 (3300Mhz)
- n258 (26Ghz)
Airtel 5G Bands In India
Airtel has released a list of supported 5G bands in India. These are:
- n8 (900Mhz)
- n3 (1800Mhz)
- n1 (2100Mhz)
- n78 (3300Mhz)
- n258 (26Ghz)
Also read: 5 Best Realme 5G Mobile Phones In India October 2022
Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G: Who Wins?
In this battle of the 5G networks, it isn’t easy to pick a clear winner. While Jio 5G offers better speeds and will evolve continuously, it isn’t available in multiple Indian cities. On the other side, Airtel 5G is available in twice the number of cities in India compared to Jio 5G. So, it boils down to what you prefer. If you’re in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, there’s a good chance that you’ll pick Jio 5G for the coverage and speed. However, its invite-only system can be an impediment, at least for the moment. Airtel 5G users will be happy with more regions covered but will have to compromise slightly on speed. Let us know which you consider the winner in this Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G head-to-head comparison in the comments below!
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Writer, researcher, and avid gamer. Geeks out over postmodern novels and the latest PC games. Usually intends all his puns.