Until 2018, if someone said they had an iPhone with two SIM cards, it was definitely a fake. Old iPhones supported only one SIM, and there were no alternatives. But with the release of the iPhone XR, iPhone XS and XS Max, the situation changed dramatically. eSIM appeared, and for China Apple released an exclusive model with two physical SIM cards. And even now, with the iPhone 16, nothing has changed. You can buy an iPhone with two SIM cards from China, but the question is whether it is worth doing it.
What is known about the Phone with two physical SIM cards
Models for China have their own specifics. They are deprived of several convenient functions, some simply do not work, and some work with restrictions. And also, such iPhones are often more expensive than the usual models with nanoSIM and eSIM. Therefore, before spending money, you should think carefully about whether it is really justified.
What worries me most about such models is the lack of Apple Intelligence. Regular iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have these features, but the Chinese models do not support Apple's neural networks at all. It's all because of Chinese laws: any foreign technology needs approval from local regulators, and Apple has not yet received such permission. So they simply decided to turn off Apple Intelligence in Chinese iPhones.
Another big problem is the lack of eSIM. In models with two physical SIM cards, you will not be able to use eSIM, and this is very inconvenient. In 2024, everyone will already be used to eSIM — a couple of taps in the application, and here you have a new number without a physical SIM card. But with Chinese models, this will not happen. In addition, eSIM adds security: if you lose your smartphone, you can pull out the physical SIM card and insert it into another phone. You can't do this with an eSIM, which adds peace of mind.
Another thing that worries me is the price. Usually, iPhones with two SIM cards cost the same as models with nanoSIM and eSIM, and sometimes even more. For example, the iPhone 16 in the standard configuration will cost 40 thousand hryvnias, while the version with two SIM cards will be much more expensive at 90 thousand hryvnias.
To be honest, I don't see many reasons to buy an iPhone from China with two SIM cards. The only option is if you really need support for physical SIM cards, because switching to eSIM is not possible, or it is impossible in the near future. But in Ukraine, most operators already support eSIM, and this problem can only be with corporate numbers. And even there it can be solved through the operator.