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 you can have two lines of service on one iPhone, which is useful for purchasing data-only plans while traveling abroad or having personal and business lines on a single iPhone.
5G will not be available in Dual SIM mode on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro at launch, however, according to an internal training document for Apple employees shared on Reddit. MacRumors can confirm that the document is authentic.
From the document:
"Does 5G work with Dual SIM?"
When using two lines in Dual SIM mode, 5G data isn't supported on either line and will fall back to 4G LTE. If customers are using eSIM only and are on a 5G supported carrier and service plan, they'll have 5G access.
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.
5G is automatically enabled on iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models, as long as users have chosen a supported wireless carrier that offers a 5G network. To access 5G while roaming in other countries, Apple's document says that customers can purchase a local SIM card or eSIM plan and use it as a single line with 5G where available.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders began last Friday, and shipments will begin arriving to customers this coming Friday. iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available to pre-order starting Friday, November 6.
Update: 2020 has ended without Apple enabling 5G in Dual SIM mode, despite an internal Verizon presentation indicating that a software update would enable this functionality by the end of the year. Apple has not responded to requests for comment.
Popular Stories
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve).
The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements.
While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way.
By the time the ...
Apple's Terminal app is getting a visual refresh in macOS Tahoe, and it's the first notable design update since the command-line tool debuted.
The updated Terminal will support 24-bit color and Powerline fonts, according to Apple's State of the Platforms presentation at WWDC25. The app will also adopt the new Liquid Glass aesthetic with redesigned themes that align with macOS 26's broader...
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro.
The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why.
In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
