Apple iPhone 8 could come with Dual-SIM support

According to a recent patent filing, Apple is working on Dual-SIM support for iPhone. The ability to use multiple SIM cards is a very popular feature in China and India, where a dual-SIM iPhone 8 can be a huge factor in increasing its business here. People in India generally use one SIM card for their business calls and another for personal use, or one for data and another for calls. There are a plethora of Android smartphones even the high-end offerings from Samsung like the Galaxy S7 which come with dual-SIM support for these regions.

The patent describes how the system would work and prioritize one SIM card over the other based on usage. If you make more calls using the first SIM card then it would be prioritized even if you use data on the other, when you are getting a call. This is essentially a dual-SIM dual-standby offering which is commonly found on most Android smartphones.

Apple has been awarded the patent for dual-SIM card technology in both China (State Intellectual Property Office) and the US (USPTO). With Apple trying to ignite the iPhone's declining sales (30% down YoY in China), a dual-SIM option would be a great start. With the upcoming 10 year anniversary of the iPhone next year, big things are expected from Apple. But given that Apple does file technology patents from time to time without actually implementing them right away, the dual-SIM iPhone 8 may just be a pipe dream.

Disclaimer: Image used above is just for representational purposes, it does not show actual status bar UI for dual-SIM support on iPhone.

Source: USPTO | Via: Forbes