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Apple Plans to Enable 5G in Dual SIM Mode With Software Update Later This Year [Updated]

I also wonder if it is somehow specifically related to eSIM. Some of the materials that were leaked/provided seemed to make reference to using eSIM with 5G. These reviews from China confirming 5G works with dual SIM are likely dual physical SIM iPhones, not the kind we'll have in the US.

I suppose we'll find out soon enough.
 
popcorn-in-sac said:
I also wonder if it is somehow specifically related to eSIM. Some of the materials that were leaked/provided seemed to make reference to using eSIM with 5G. These reviews from China confirming 5G works with dual SIM are likely dual physical SIM iPhones, not the kind we'll have in the US.

I suppose we'll find out soon enough.
Click to expand...

I think that's the most likely answer, something to do with eSIM.

From a practical perspective, I don't think enough people have access to 5G outside of China for this to be a big problem in the near term.
 
chucker23n1 said:
I mean, if you're not into them and find them a superfluous luxury item, I think that's fair.

Others may enjoy or benefit from them, though. You can make the argument that their benefit is fairly minor, but so was the benefit of turning a light switch compared to lighting a candle, yet we've all moved to the newer system.
Click to expand...
Basically yeah. The argument is that there's no need to adopt technologies early when so many people who just like playing with new tech will work out the kinks for you. Home tech isn't useful yet, but techies will buy it anyway for fun or consumerism. By the time it's actually useful, the mass market of people who don't care and just want useful stuff will adopt it, and all the early versions will be replaced. Same with the iPhone 12; there's no pressing need for 5G, and you can let other people deal with it first.

Personally I'm a car guy, but I don't pretend that I *need* a fast car or that it's worth the maintenance. I could say it's for entering the freeways safely here cause they're all shoddily designed with short onramps, but the real reason is I just like to vroom in a fun car.
 
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Use 5G with your iPhone - Apple Support

iPhone 12 models or later work with the 5G cellular networks of certain carriers. Learn how to use 5G cellular service.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

While using two lines in Dual SIM mode, 5G data isn't supported on either line and will fall back to 4G LTE. In China, 5G data is supported while using two active lines in Dual SIM mode on the line that's using cellular data. In China, while using Dual SIM with 5G, 5G Standalone isn't available.
 
Well, at least you don’t have to delete the esim. I’ll happily turn off the esim when I don’t need the second line (which I keep only for coverage when I travel, which thanks to the pandemic I don’t do anyway)

About 5G and Dual SIM
If you have iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, or iPhone 12 Pro Max, and both phone lines are active, 5G isn't available. To use 5G on these iPhone models, disable Dual SIM mode by turning off either one of your phone lines:
  1. Open the Settings app, then tap Cellular.
  2. Select the line that you want to turn off.
  3. Turn off the switch next to Turn On This Line.
Turn the line back on to return to Dual SIM mode.
 
The way people are talking about 'Dual sim', they are giving the impression that the iphone 12 has two physical sim slots but yet when you look on Apples tech specs for the phone it does not mention this, it says ' Dual SIM (nano‑SIM and eSIM)' which to me implies it has one physical sim slot and a digital sim, hence why it is referred to as Dual Sim.

Is this correct?
 
laptech said:
The way people are talking about 'Dual sim', they are giving the impression that the iphone 12 has two physical sim slots but yet when you look on Apples tech specs for the phone it does not mention this, it says ' Dual SIM (nano‑SIM and eSIM)' which to me implies it has one physical sim slot and a digital sim, hence why it is referred to as Dual Sim.

Is this correct?
Click to expand...

It depends. In China, it does have two slots. Elsewhere, one is virtual.
 
This is how it looks on one line when both are switched on. iOS 14.2 12 pro max ATT. The 5G options are greyed out. If I switch off either line, the other can then do 5G

IMG_0003.jpeg



IMG_0004.jpeg
 
They claimed shortly after launch it was going to be a "software bug" that could be fixed but I wonder if they "stole" the dual sim antenna to make 5G work and it will be a hardware limitation but they didn't want to admit to that initially. It's got my 12 PRO order on hold for now until we find out if this is really a software problem or not
 
macrumours4568 said:
They claimed shortly after launch it was going to be a "software bug" that could be fixed but I wonder if they "stole" the dual sim antenna to make 5G work and it will be a hardware limitation but they didn't want to admit to that initially. It's got my 12 PRO order on hold for now until we find out if this is really a software problem or not
Click to expand...
www.qualcomm.com

Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System | Complete 5G Solution | Qualcomm

Qualcomm’s 2nd generation 5G modem helps manufacturers build multimode 5G phones for a more rapid 5G rollout.
www.qualcomm.com www.qualcomm.com

The Qualcomm X55 fully supports dual SIM and 5G+4G mode. The hardware is there - it's up to Apple to implement.
 
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I’m not on 5G...but when another call was ringing through in my personal line, instead of me just seeing it on the Home Screen, the people I was talking to on my business line (eSIM) told me they couldn’t hear me while the other line was just ringing. Wtf?
 
macrumours4568 said:
They claimed shortly after launch it was going to be a "software bug" that could be fixed but I wonder if they "stole" the dual sim antenna to make 5G work and it will be a hardware limitation but they didn't want to admit to that initially. It's got my 12 PRO order on hold for now until we find out if this is really a software problem or not
Click to expand...
Did they say it was a “bug” or a feature that would be coming later? I ask because those are entirely different things
 
NT1440 said:
Did they say it was a “bug” or a feature that would be coming later? I ask because those are entirely different things
Click to expand...
Apple isn't saying anything official. Internal VZ docs apparently indicate an update is coming:


www.macrumors.com

Apple Plans to Enable 5G in Dual SIM Mode With Software Update Later This Year [Updated]

iPhone XS models and newer feature both a physical SIM slot and a digital eSIM, allowing for a feature known as dual SIM, dual standby. This means...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com

According to an internal Verizon slide obtained by MacRumors, however, Apple plans to enable 5G support in Dual SIM mode with a software update later this year. In the meantime, Verizon says that eSIM customers must remove the physical SIM from their iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro to access its 5G network.[/QUOTE[
Click to expand...
 
Drewsking said:
So just found out there is no fix, from apple’s technical team. It’s a 5g phone for a single line only. Awesome wish I read this last month.
Click to expand...
So why do Chinese iPhone 12s with 2 physical sim cards support 5G in dual sim mode? I highly suspect that the Qualcomm chip is still the same...
 
chucker23n1 said:
You'd rather have no 5G at all than 5G in only one of the SIMs?
Click to expand...
I need to have both sims active most of the time so 5G won’t work for me. And since the fix does not seem to be included with iOS 14.3 I don’t expect it to be available before end of January at best.
I will just wait for next years phone which hopefully will have a pro motion display.
 
I'm still having an issue that when on a call and another call starts ringing in, the current call cannot here me anymore. And the last time this happened, when I declined the incoming call, the current call still could not hear me. I had to hang up and call back.

Do I have something screwed up in settings, or is this an eSim/2 line issue??
 
How come we still have to have dual sim dual standby with the dual sim iPhone. Many androids support dual volte, so both likes can connect to LTE at the same time.
 
JPack said:
I think that's the most likely answer, something to do with eSIM.

From a practical perspective, I don't think enough people have access to 5G outside of China for this to be a big problem in the near term.
Click to expand...
Not a “big problem” but I am the use case. Two lines with two different carriers, 5G on one, not the other. I went back to carrying two phones to ensure I got the 5G speed. It’s not 10x faster, but reliable 2.5x faster which is noticeable.
 
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