Dual SIM iPhone 12 users may not get 5G speeds

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A leaked Apple FAQ sent to carriers warns that -- at least for now -- if an iPhone 12 range owner is using a dual SIM, both lines will drop back to 4G and not support 5G.

Using Dual SIMs in an iPhone
Using Dual SIMs in an iPhone


All four iPhone 12 models support 5G, and all four come with the ability to use the Dual SIM feature to give you two phone lines on the same device. However, a new leak claims that Apple has warned carriers that it won't be possible for anyone using this to get 5G speeds on either of their two lines.

"When using two lines in Dual SIM mode, 5G data isn't supported on either line and will fall back to 4G LTE," says Apple in a carrier information document. "If customers are using eSIM only and are on a 5G-supported carrier and service plan, they'll have 5G access."

The leak comes from a user on Reddit who subsequently posted a screengrab of the document. He or she then also claimed that there is an "update coming later in 2020 [which] will enable 5G when using... Dual SIM mode."

Reportedly, that updated information came from "part of an internal training document" and the leaker does not have a copy.

Screenshot of Apple's reported carrier information document (Source: Reddit)
Screenshot of Apple's reported carrier information document (Source: Reddit)


If this extra detail is correct, then until Apple releases an update, Dual SIM users of the iPhone 12 range will have to disable their SIM or eSIM to get 5G data.

Apple has not commented publicly, nor at time of writing updated any of its support documents to reflect this claim. The Reddit post and its followup was first spotted by MacRumors.

Separately, analysts outside the US have been concerned about Apple not supporting the full mmWave 5G in its iPhone 12 range.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    ivanhivanh Posts: 597member
    wait a month before you decide to buy. more and more will be discovered, I believe.
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  • Reply 2 of 15
    razorpitrazorpit Posts: 1,796member
    ivanh said:
    wait a month before you decide to buy. more and more will be discovered, I believe.
    It looks like this will be fixed in a month.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 15
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,048member
    razorpit said:
    ivanh said:
    wait a month before you decide to buy. more and more will be discovered, I believe.
    It looks like this will be fixed in a month.
    It’s an outrage. The class action lawsuits will commence in 5...4...3...2...1..
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 15
    MplsPmplsp Posts: 4,089member
    This is strange - I wonder what the reason is? The claim that it will be fixed in the future means it’s probably a software issue. The question is whether it was a deliberate block or a bug. 

    The same goes with mm wave 5g in other countries. Is that a hardware issue or simply. Software one? Or simply a regulatory one?
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 15
    Dual SIM is pretty much useless unless you buy your phone outright.  Any carrier deal that helps you buy it cheaper (contract or bill credits) and the carrier will not let you use another carriers SIM as the 2nd one.  The phone is basically locked to your carrier.  It sucks because technically, I'm still using (and paying for) service from the primary carrier but am forbidden to use a secondary carrier (say when I travel international, which isn't happening any time soon thanks to COVID).


     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 15
    ITGUYINSD said:
    Dual SIM is pretty much useless unless you buy your phone outright.  Any carrier deal that helps you buy it cheaper (contract or bill credits) and the carrier will not let you use another carriers SIM as the 2nd one.  The phone is basically locked to your carrier.  It sucks because technically, I'm still using (and paying for) service from the primary carrier but am forbidden to use a secondary carrier (say when I travel international, which isn't happening any time soon thanks to COVID).


    ANY Carrier Contrat is so out-dated, it simply boggles the mind.
    People don't do simple research

    AT&T Pre-Paid Sim = $40/month    ....Unlimited phone and text, 8GB's high speed data, with rollover data
    AT&T Pre-Paid eSim = $20/month  ....Unlimited phone and text, 1GB data

    Detail ANY carrier "contract" beating that.  ...and I might switch :smiley: 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 7 of 15
    ITGUYINSD said:
    Dual SIM is pretty much useless unless you buy your phone outright.  Any carrier deal that helps you buy it cheaper (contract or bill credits) and the carrier will not let you use another carriers SIM as the 2nd one.  The phone is basically locked to your carrier.  It sucks because technically, I'm still using (and paying for) service from the primary carrier but am forbidden to use a secondary carrier (say when I travel international, which isn't happening any time soon thanks to COVID).


    ANY Carrier Contrat is so out-dated, it simply boggles the mind.
    People don't do simple research

    AT&T Pre-Paid Sim = $40/month    ....Unlimited phone and text, 8GB's high speed data, with rollover data
    AT&T Pre-Paid eSim = $20/month  ....Unlimited phone and text, 1GB data

    Detail ANY carrier "contract" beating that.  ...and I might switch :smiley: 
    Can you explain what the means and provide a link to that offer?  The AT&T contract I just ended was $95/month (after taxes) without better terms that the $40/month option you show.
    razorpitwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 15
    Might the leaked Apple FAQ be less "alarming" than it seems?  Can one be switching back and forth between 2 SIMs and not technically be in "Dual Sim mode"?  Perhaps this limitation only applies when you are actively using both simultaneously?
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 15
    ITGUYINSD said:
    Dual SIM is pretty much useless unless you buy your phone outright.  Any carrier deal that helps you buy it cheaper (contract or bill credits) and the carrier will not let you use another carriers SIM as the 2nd one.  The phone is basically locked to your carrier.  It sucks because technically, I'm still using (and paying for) service from the primary carrier but am forbidden to use a secondary carrier (say when I travel international, which isn't happening any time soon thanks to COVID).


    My understanding is that when you buy a phone from a carrier the eSIM is locked, however most carriers will unlock the eSIM when requested after 30 or 90 days. 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 15
    DangDave said:
    ITGUYINSD said:
    Dual SIM is pretty much useless unless you buy your phone outright.  Any carrier deal that helps you buy it cheaper (contract or bill credits) and the carrier will not let you use another carriers SIM as the 2nd one.  The phone is basically locked to your carrier.  It sucks because technically, I'm still using (and paying for) service from the primary carrier but am forbidden to use a secondary carrier (say when I travel international, which isn't happening any time soon thanks to COVID).


    My understanding is that when you buy a phone from a carrier the eSIM is locked, however most carriers will unlock the eSIM when requested after 30 or 90 days. 
    I checked with AT&T last year when I got my iPhone 11 Pro Max, which I got for $600 (no trade-in required, but 2 year contract not bill credits), and they said that the phone is locked to AT&T and no other carrier SIM would work, eSIM or regular SIM.  

    Maybe it's changed, I don't know.  My point was, I'm still paying for and using AT&T, so that should keep the contract happy, so why not allow another carrier as 2nd SIM?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 11 of 15
    ITGUYINSD said:
    Dual SIM is pretty much useless unless you buy your phone outright.  Any carrier deal that helps you buy it cheaper (contract or bill credits) and the carrier will not let you use another carriers SIM as the 2nd one.  The phone is basically locked to your carrier.  It sucks because technically, I'm still using (and paying for) service from the primary carrier but am forbidden to use a secondary carrier (say when I travel international, which isn't happening any time soon thanks to COVID).


    ANY Carrier Contrat is so out-dated, it simply boggles the mind.
    People don't do simple research

    AT&T Pre-Paid Sim = $40/month    ....Unlimited phone and text, 8GB's high speed data, with rollover data
    AT&T Pre-Paid eSim = $20/month  ....Unlimited phone and text, 1GB data

    Detail ANY carrier "contract" beating that.  ...and I might switch :smiley: 
    I have 4 lines, all Unlimited everything, and one free Spotify Premium subscription for about $160/mo.  Plus, I get heavily discounted phones (iPhone 11 Pro Max 256GB was $600 and a Samsung S20 Ultra 5G is $5/mo for 30 months).  That seems like a pretty good deal to me.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 15
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,384member
    MplsP said:
    This is strange - I wonder what the reason is? The claim that it will be fixed in the future means it’s probably a software issue. The question is whether it was a deliberate block or a bug. 

    The same goes with mm wave 5g in other countries. Is that a hardware issue or simply. Software one? Or simply a regulatory one?
    It is a limitation of the software for the Qualcomm X55 modem. Other dual sim 5G phones have the same limitation. So it is all dependent on whether or not Qualcomm issues the update. 
    Personally, if you were a dual SIM user planning on updating to iPhone 12 just for 5G, I would just wait and see. Nothing worth getting worked up about. You won’t see any speed gains over your current iPhone until the software update actually becomes available.
    For the 95% (made up figure) of iPhone users that don’t dual sim, well, it is irrelevant.
    edited October 2020
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 15
    I don't care about 5G.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 14 of 15
    mimsmims Posts: 24member
    "Dual SIM users of the iPhone 12 range will have to disable their SIM or eSIM to get 5G data." How hard is it to turn the eSim on and off? 
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 15 of 15
    mims said:
    "Dual SIM users of the iPhone 12 range will have to disable their SIM or eSIM to get 5G data." How hard is it to turn the eSim on and off? 
    Do you see that as a seamless solution? People want to use their devices without a thought, not keep toggling settings to get what they want.
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
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