Chinese carriers claim dual-SIM iPhones are a sure thing

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

China Telecom


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.

China Mobile


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.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    GG1gg1 Posts: 483member
    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.
    Soli
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  • Reply 2 of 21
    nunzynunzy Posts: 662member
    Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 21
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,943member
    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.
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  • Reply 4 of 21
    wonkothesanewonkothesane Posts: 1,744member
    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. 
    nunzyavon b7ronndanhwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 5 of 21
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    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.
    edited September 2018
    nunzyronnwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 6 of 21
    Fatmanfatman Posts: 513member
    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!
    GeorgeBMacwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 7 of 21
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    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.
    nunzyronntokyojimuwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 8 of 21
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    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. 
    ronnwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 9 of 21
    nbuchertnbuchert Posts: 5member
    volcan said:
    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. 
    volcanronn
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  • Reply 10 of 21
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member
    volcan said:
    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. 
    ronnwatto_cobra
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  • Reply 11 of 21
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    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.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 21
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    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.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 21
    RobPalmer9robpalmer9 Posts: 12member
    nunzy said:
    Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?
    Since the Chinese suddenly came into a lot of money.
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  • Reply 14 of 21
    RobPalmer9robpalmer9 Posts: 12member
    foggyhill said:
    Multinational companies base their products on regional differences in important market ALL THE TIME.
    So, Frack off buddy.
    foggyhill said:
    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.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 15 of 21
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 8,207member
    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.
    ronn
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  • Reply 16 of 21
    bestkeptsecretbestkeptsecret Posts: 4,309member
    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.
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 17 of 21
    lukeilukei Posts: 403member
    volcan said:
    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. 
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 18 of 21
    croprcropr Posts: 1,144member
    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

    edited September 2018
    GG1
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  • Reply 19 of 21
    GeorgeBMacgeorgebmac Posts: 11,421member
    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. 
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 20 of 21
    JustaTechojustatecho Posts: 7member
    nunzy said:
    Since when did Apple base design decisions on what foreigners want?
    Macrumors misses you, please go stay there...
    watto_cobra
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