Apple has been previously rumoured to be launching a dual-SIM option for its next iPhone. The company is expected to launch at least three different iPhone devices later this year, and it could offer a new dual-SIM option for some of these models.

In the iOS 12 developer beta 5, the folks at 9to5Mac found references to support for a second SIM on the software. It references things like a “second SIM tray status” and a “dual SIM device” which clearly means a dual-SIM iPhone is imminent.

This would be a first for Apple’s iPhones, but it also highlights a recent change in Apple’s strategy. The company has been lately focusing a lot on developing countries like India and Brazil, where dual SIM devices are incredibly popular. Over here in countries like the UK and the US, we don’t really use more than one SIM mainly because of our mobile contracts, and that’s not the case in countries like India.

It’s still not clear whether the new dual-SIM option will be available for all the three iPhone models Apple is launching this year, though previous rumours suggested it would only be available on the large 6.5-inch model. That’s certainly a bit unusual as people in developing countries are more likely to get the cheapest version of the iPhone than the most expensive one, especially since the 6.5-inch 2018 iPhone is expected to cost a whopping $1000.

Tagged with 2018 iPhone, Apple, Dual-SIM, iPhone, iPhone X, iPhone X Plus