Oliver Haslam·

How Dual-SIM In iPhone XS, XS Max, XR Actually Works

Apple’s September 12th iPhone event has now drawn to a close and we have answers to all of the questions that we had thanks to the many, many rumors that had kept us entertained over the past few weeks.

We now know that the rumors were, in fact, accurate and the new iPhones do support dual-SIM capabilities, although things aren’t quite as simple as we may have first thought.

While we had initially believed that dual-SIM support was only coming to the iPhone XR, we now know that all of Apple’s 2018 iPhones will support the ability to use two SIMs in one device. However, Apple confirmed on-stage that devices will only actually support one physical SIM, with an eSIM used to handle the second line.

As far as the question of how the eSIM will work is concerned, Apple has developed Dual SIM Dual Standby, which is a technology that will keep both SIMs functional at all times but will only activate the relevant one when an incoming call requires it. When making outbound calls, users will be able to choose which SIM they use, with both SIMs configured as either Primary or Secondary lines. Support for eSIM will depend on your carrier, though, with Apple already having a number of partners online including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Bell, and more.

However, things are slightly different in China. For various reasons, Apple is not able to support eSIM in China, which means that it will need to offer two physical SIMs in order to support dual-SIM capabilities. It’s doing that by allowing users to insert two cards into one SIM tray – one on the top, one on the bottom.

Apple’s added support for dual SIMs is great for anyone who wants to be able to use two different phone numbers or wants to take advantage of two different plans. It’s also great for anyone who travels and wants to be able to take advantage of a local plan while still being connected to their home phone number.

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