Chinese carriers claim dual-SIM iPhones are a sure thing

AppleInsider · September 10, 2018 7:01PM

Apple is indeed planning to ship at least one dual-SIM iPhone this year, Facebook posts by two Chinese wireless carriers suggest.

A graphic from China Telecom explicitly depicts an iPhone X-like device with twin card slots, GSM Arena noted on Monday. A separate image from China Mobile is less direct, but still shows an apple with two SIM cards embedded in it.

Dual-SIM phones are rare in the U.S., but can be particularly useful in places like Europe and southeast Asia, where travelers are frequently crossing borders and may want to avoid constantly swapping out SIM cards.

Rumors have regularly pointed to some form of dual-SIM support in this fall's iPhones, but they've also been inconsistent as to which models. Some have pointed to the 6.1-inch LCD "iPhone Xc", but the technology could also -- or alternately -- come to the 5.8-inch OLED "iPhone XS" and/or the 6.5-inch "XS Plus," sometimes referred to as the "XS Max."

Apple is slated to reveal the new iPhones at an event this Wednesday, which will start at 10 a.m. Pacific time. The company should also announce updated iPad Pros, an Apple Watch "Series 4" with a bigger display, and more.

GG1 · September 10, 2018 7:17PM

If true, I would've expected one of the SIMs to be an eSIM, especially with the eSIM in the iPads.

But I'm not complaining. Hopefully it's at least available on both OLED models.

nunzy · September 10, 2018 7:35PM

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

wood1208 · September 10, 2018 8:09PM

Apple listens customers all over world so I would not be surprised if dual SIMS iPhones is real. I wish 6.1" iPhone adopted same camera as it's OLED siblings. May be in 2019.

wonkothesane · September 10, 2018 8:14PM

nunzy said:

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

Maybe since Apple understands that the world is made of (potential) customers, not foreigners and natives/indigenous/domestic/whatever.

foggyhill · September 10, 2018 8:34PM

nunzy said:

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

Multinational companies base their products on regional differences in important market ALL THE TIME.

So, Frack off buddy.

Fatman · September 10, 2018 8:46PM

The SIM, a lame, outdated technology, should just go away - the way of the dodo bird and the floppy disk. Apple should eliminate not add a second slot!

volcan · September 10, 2018 9:11PM

nunzy said:

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

Many US nationals travel abroad and would like to have both their US sim and a local sim so they can continue receiving their roaming calls from the US while having the cost savings of a local sim. I know I would take advantage of that since I travel quite often. As it is now if you travel abroad you'll see plenty of people with two phones, me included. That is just a single scenario. Another is that EU customers could really benefit from dual sims because crossing the border to another country happens quite often and they could avoid expensive roaming charges. Apple would be smart to enable that technology. There have been dual sim phones by other manufactures for many years. I would be very happy if Apple followed suit.

volcan · September 10, 2018 9:53PM

Fatman said:

The SIM, a lame, outdated technology, should just go away - the way of the dodo bird and the floppy disk. Apple should eliminate not add a second slot!

Apple wanted to do that a year or so ago but got considerable push back from the carriers.

I still think it is convenient while traveling because unlike the US there are very few official carrier stores in the smaller countries. However, there are plenty of little mom and pop stores all over the place that can sell you a sim and a prepaid minutes card. With a sim you don't need to program anything unlike the theoretical sim-less phone. You just pop it in and go. Even the housekeeper in the hotel can help you with that. She'll just take off her earring and pop open the sim drawer. Pretty much all the locals are used to that method. Paperclips are not in wide usage in the rest of the world like they are in the US so if you travel abroad you should consider bringing your own.

nbuchert · September 10, 2018 10:04PM

volcan said:

nunzy said:

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

Another is that EU customers could really benefit from dual sims because crossing the border to another country happens quite often and they could avoid expensive roaming charges.

Actually a new EU law states that EU citizens can travel in all of EU without paying any roaming fees. This means that if you have a data subscription you can use that data anywhere in the EU. Typically up to a limit of 10 or 20 GBs. Also if you have unlimited calls and SMS’s this also applies when traveling within the EU.

boltsfan17 · September 10, 2018 10:10PM

volcan said:

nunzy said:

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

Many US nationals travel abroad and would like to have both their US sim and a local sim so they can continue receiving their roaming calls from the US while having the cost savings of a local sim. I know I would take advantage of that since I travel quite often. As it is now if you travel abroad you'll see plenty of people with two phones, me included. That is just a single scenario. Another is that EU customers could really benefit from dual sims because crossing the border to another country happens quite often and they could avoid expensive roaming charges. Apple would be smart to enable that technology. There have been dual sim phones by other manufactures for many years. I would be very happy if Apple followed suit.

I travel often and I would love to have a dual sim. Verizon's travel pass is a joke. I used that when I was in Europe last month. There actually aren't roaming charges for EU citizens travelling to other EU countries. I believe it's an actual law. I think it's called something like "roam like you're at home" rule. Regardless, it would be beneficial to EU travelers having a dual sim while visiting other countries outside the EU.

volcan · September 10, 2018 10:12PM

nbuchert said:
Actually a new EU law states that EU citizens can travel in all of EU without paying any roaming fees. This means that if you have a data subscription you can use that data anywhere in the EU. Typically up to a limit of 10 or 20 GBs. Also if you have unlimited calls and SMS’s this also applies when traveling within the EU.

Good to know. I recall not too long ago there was a discussion on this forum where EU subscribers were complaining about the ridiculous roaming charges. I have a house in Central America and I get charged for roaming even if I simply receive a call from a person who subscribes to a different carrier in the same city.

volcan · September 10, 2018 10:17PM

boltsfan17 said:
Regardless, it would be beneficial to EU travelers having a dual sim while visiting other countries outside the EU.

Yeah, like Britain once they Brexit.

RobPalmer9 · September 10, 2018 11:03PM

nunzy said:

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

Since the Chinese suddenly came into a lot of money.

RobPalmer9 · September 10, 2018 11:05PM

foggyhill said:

nunzy said:

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

Multinational companies base their products on regional differences in important market ALL THE TIME.
So, Frack off buddy.

Jesus! It doesn't take much to trigger you. Take is easy buddy, you'll give yourself a heart attack.

avon b7 · September 10, 2018 11:55PM

nunzy said:

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

60% of Apple revenues come from outside the US. A lot of Apple workers come from outside the US and on the subject of design, Jony Ive is (or was LOL) British. A 'foreigner'.

Dual SIMs are popular for some kinds of users and especially if you want your private and work lines on the same physical phone.

bestkeptsecret · September 11, 2018 6:44AM

I never thought Apple would release a dual-SIM phone, given how they are actually pushing for an e-SIM option. I guess I stand corrected if this pans out.

lukei · September 11, 2018 8:18AM

volcan said:

boltsfan17 said:
Regardless, it would be beneficial to EU travelers having a dual sim while visiting other countries outside the EU.

Yeah, like Britain once they Brexit.

Except that the carrier 3 has already stated they won’t change that. So no other carriers will.

Carry on Project Fear though.

cropr · September 11, 2018 9:48AM

Fatman said:

The SIM, a lame, outdated technology, should just go away - the way of the dodo bird and the floppy disk. Apple should eliminate not add a second slot!

A SIM card has 2 benefits for the user: he can easily change carrier by switching the SIM card of his phone by a SIM card of another carrier and he can easily switch phones by putting his SIM card in another phone. The SIM card creates a nice power balance between the carrier and the phone manufacturer.

The e-SIM moves the power balance more to the phone manufacturer. The user can still easily switch carriers but it is getting much more difficult to switch phones (especially between different manufacturers). So there is very little interest from the carriers to support it. While the e-SIM technology might look great it has a a very lame business rationale, the main reason why it is failing

GeorgeBMac · September 11, 2018 12:33PM

We should be headed towards zero SIMS, but instead we two -- because carriers are assholes.

Carriers have ruled, dictated and held back progress for decades. A lot of that has to do with the fact that they are for-profits running unregulated quasi-monopolies.

JustaTecho · September 11, 2018 1:08PM

nunzy said:

Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?

Macrumors misses you, please go stay there...

Chinese carriers claim dual-SIM iPhones are a sure thing

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