There has been a pretty consistent rumor going around that Apple is going to launch three new iPhones this year: a true successor to the iPhone X, a larger 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus with an OLED display, and then a 6.1-inch iPhone equipped with an LCD panel.
Now, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is coming forward to add a bit of a wrinkle to the story. Technically, there will still be three new iPhone models, as mentioned above. However, according to the analyst with a longstanding positive track record in predicting Apple moves, the company is going to launch two variants of the 6.1-inch model. One would feature a single SIM card slot, while the other would boast a dual-SIM card design.
Interestingly enough, the changes would have a noteworthy impact on price, with Apple apparently planning on pricing the dual-SIM iPhone at a $100 premium over the standard, single-SIM 6.1-inch iPhone. Kuo believes the dual-SIM handset may be priced between $650 and $750, while the other model could cost between $550 and $650.
“6.1” LCD iPhone may have model that supports DSDS. If the 6.1″ LCD iPhone comes with DSDS and single-SIM models, we believe it will result in two benefits: (1) more price segments would be created, significantly boosting shipments via the low-price single-SIM model. For instance, if the DSDS model sells for US$650-750, the single-SIM model may sell for US$550-650; and (2) the DSDS model will help increase market share in China and commercial markets.”
This is not the first time that Kuo has speculated Apple could offer an iPhone with a pair of SIM card slots. He has previously expressed his belief that Apple would offer the feature in at least one iPhone model launched this year. With Apple supposedly moving towards a variant of the 6.1-inch iPhone doing just that, the foreshadowing would still be spot-on.
Supporting a pair of SIM cards isn’t an oft-requested feature for the mass market in the United States, but it’s certainly still one in international markets. With Apple finally moving in that direction, it may get even more folks to switch who have only been shying away from Apple-branded smartphones because it didn’t have a dual-SIM design.