Dual-SIM smartphones are quite popular in many parts of the world, including India and China. Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Huawei are all selling smartphones with dual-SIM capabilities- except for Apple. The Cupertino company has refrained from launching its popular iPhone with dual-SIM support, but that might change this year. The word on the street is that Apple is keen to include dual-SIM support in one of its 2018 iPhones. Most likely the cheaper 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will gain dual-SIM support, a move aimed at gaining market share from Chinese smartphone players in South East Asia. Here's what we know about the dual-SIM LCD iPhone. Apple iPhone 9 with 6.1-inch LCD model to get dual-SIM support Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, formerly with KGI Securities, claims that the cheaper 6.1-inch iPhone will come with dual-SIM support. Some reports refer to this as the Apple iPhone 9, while others call it iPhone X2 or even iPhone 11. Kuo says the launch of a dual-SIM capable iPhone could introduce a new price segment for smartphones. The analyst believes the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone model may be priced anywhere between $650 (or approx Rs 44,629) and $750 (or approx Rs 51,495). Kuo thinks the dual-SIM model will likely to increase Apple's market share in China. Also read: Apple to revamp India strategy with new stores, improved apps: Report Dual-SIM iPhone could be exclusive to China A new report from Taiwan claims the dual-SIM iPhone is coming, but it's going to be limited to the Chinese market. Economic Daily News reports the feature will be coming to the cheaper iPhone, and that will be a dual-SIM dual standby (DSDS). This means unlike a dual-SIM dual-active smartphone, the second SIM will be inactive whenever you are making calls on your first network. Active dual-SIM vs Standby dual-SIM There are two different types of dual-SIM smartphones available in the market. An active dual-SIM phone has the ability to handle two active SIMs at the same time. This means users will be able to receive calls and texts from both the lines. Then there is something called as the standby dual-SIM smartphone. With such a device, you need to switch between SIMs in order to activate them. Also read: Apple iPhone 9 with 6.1-inch LCD variant leaked in new live image Why you need a dual-SIM smartphone? Dual-SIM smartphones are popular for a number of reasons. First, a dual-SIM smartphone is much more convenient rather than carrying two separate devices. And it makes sense to carry a dual-SIM smartphone, if you travel a lot. One can easily get the local SIM wherever you travel and get connected to the network. Second, a lot of people also buy a dual-SIM smartphone due to patchy or limited cellular connectivity in the country. Now you know why dual-SIM smartphones are gaining popularity in India and China. Why does Apple want to launch a dual-SIM iPhone? It's not hard to guess why Apple plans to launch a dual-SIM iPhone. In India, for instance, Apple's market share is less than 2 per cent and continues to decline. With the dual-SIM 6.1-inch LCD iPhone model targeted for the Chinese and Indian markets, Apple hopes it increase its market share in the region. Whether or not the dual-SIM LCD iPhone comes to the market remains to be seen, but we do know that Apple plans to launch three iPhones this year - a 5.8-inch iPhone X, a 6.5-inch OLED iPhone X Plus, and a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone. All three devices are expected to launch later this year, probably in September.
