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World’s largest carrier spills big 2018 iPhone secret

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iPhone X home screen
iOS 14's Home screen could be very different.
Photo: Apple

The world’s largest carrier just confirmed one big rumor about the 2018 iPhone lineup.

China Mobile has published an image that all but confirms a new Apple smartphone capable of supporting two SIM cards simultaneously. A separate teaser from rival China Telecom also hints at dual-SIM functionality for a next-generation iPhone.

Dual-SIM iPhone could be just for China

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The dual-SIM iPhone will offer twice as many SIM card slots as any previous iOS device.
The dual-SIM iPhone will offer twice as many SIM card slots as any previous iOS device.
Photo: IFIXIT

Buried in the latest iOS 12 beta is evidence that Apple is going to release the first iPhone that can have two SIM cards installed at once. But most people won’t have the option to buy this device.

The dual-SIM iPhone will reportedly be restricted to just China.

iOS 12 beta 5 spills Apple’s dual-SIM plans for new iPhone

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iPhone X home screen
iOS 14's Home screen could be very different.
Photo: Apple

A recent rumor claimed Apple will add dual-SIM functionality to at least one of the handsets in this year’s iPhone lineup. Now its latest developer update has all but confirms those claims.

Code discovered in iOS 12 beta 5 reveals Apple is already making preparations for a secondary SIM card slot in some iOS devices. It seems two traditional SIM cards will be supported, rather than a traditional SIM combined with embedded Apple SIM technology.

2018 iPhone lineup will boast embedded Apple SIM technology

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Apple SIM
You’ll be able to juggle two lines at once.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s new iPhone lineup will feature embedded Apple SIM technology alongside an additional SIM card slot, according to a new report.

Users will be able to take advantage of both to juggle two lines simultaneously. In certain markets where Apple SIM is not supported, Apple will offer a device with two SIM card slots.

How to fix the iPhone No Service error while roaming

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IPhone no service error
Just switch this setting to fix the iPhone No Service error.
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

If you’ve ever traveled to a foreign country with your iPhone or iPad, you may have come across the dreaded No Service error. This happens when you get off the plane and switch on your iPhone. But instead of connecting to a cellular network, your iPhone just spins its wheels and refuses to connect.

Apple offers a support page to help out, and a zillion forum pages serve up advice, but none seem to cover this particular tip, which I discovered after hours of painful futzing with settings.

iPhone 6s now available SIM-free from the Apple Store

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The iPhone isn't ditching LCD screens.
The 's' stands for SIM-free. Or something like that.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

People who have been waiting to pick up their iPhone 6s or 6s Plus without a SIM card can start planning out their weekend — because Apple has just started offering unlocked, carrier-free, SIM-free versions of its next-gen iPhones direct from the Apple Store.

iPhone 5C’s Yellow Rear Shell Gets Its First Hands-On [Video]

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iPhone-5C-yellow

The low-cost “iPhone 5C” hasn’t been announced yet, but it already feels like we’re pretty familiar with it — mostly because we’ve seen so many pictures of its plastic rear shell. But most of those — the high quality ones, at least — have included the white model.

A new hands-on video that has surfaced today shows off the yellow model in all its glory.

iPhone 5S Will Come In Gold As Well As Black And White [Rumor]

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Screen Shot 2013-06-13 at 13.28.14

Apple could add a third color option to its iPhone lineup this fall when the Cupertino company launches the iPhone 5S. According to a “trusted” source, the device will be available in gold as well as black and white, while the low-cost iPhone that will launch alongside it will be available in 5 different colors inspired by Apple’s iPhone 4 Bumper cases.

SIMPLcase Carries SIM Toolkit For iPhone Travelers [Kickstarter]

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In my wallet, I have a little “secret” compartment which contains a few international micro SIMs, an Apple-made SIM ejection tool (aka a fancy paperclip), and a guitar pick.

Or at least I usually do. The other day, when I actually needed it, the ejector tool had somehow found its way out of the wallet and into my bag. The problem was that it was not the bag I had with me.

But if I’d had the SIMPL case on my iPhone, I’d have been golden.

T-Mobile Expected To Offer iPhone 5 In Early 2013 [Report]

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T-Mobile deal could give Apple more than 2 million extra customers in Q1 2013.
T-Mobile deal could give Apple more than 2 million extra customers in Q1 2013.

T-Mobile is now the only major carrier in the United States that doesn’t offer the iPhone, because Apple’s device isn’t compatible with its 3G network. However, that could be about to change. One analyst believes that T-Mobile will finally get its chance to offer the iPhone 5 from early 2013.

Pinky Fingers-On With The Nano SIM Adapter [Review]

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This kit has almost every option covered.
This kit has almost every option covered.

Today the iPhone 5 goes on sale in The Rest Of The World, and it goes out into that world naked and empty, free of contracts and lock-ins. Yes, you can hook up with your favorite carrier and get a subsidized handset, but real men go commando.

And in this case, unless you have some forward-thinking telcos in your country, “going commando” means “cutting your own SIM.”

Which is why we’re taking a timely look at this natty Nano SIM adapter, which will let you put just about any SIM into any phone.

Yes, You Can Cut Your Micro-SIM Down Into A Nano-SIM For Your iPhone 5

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The nano-SIM isn't just smaller than the micro-SIM — it's also thinner.
The nano-SIM isn't just smaller than the micro-SIM — it's also thinner.

If you’re expecting a new iPhone 5 on Friday, and you’re buying it unlocked directly from Apple, you’re going to need a nano-SIM to go with it. Obtaining one is easy if your carrier is one supporting the new device, because you can just call them up and request one. But what if you’re already stuck in a contract with a carrier that doesn’t provide nano-SIMs yet?

Fortunately for you, scissors, some sandpaper, and a pair of steady hands will allow you to cut down your existing SIM or micro-SIM into a nano-SIM.

Vodafone Germany Has iPhone 5 Nano-SIMs Ready To Ship

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Ready for your iPhone 5.
Ready for your iPhone 5.

With Apple’s iPhone 5 announcement now just over 24 hours away, and a possible launch just over one week away, carriers are preparing for what will undoubtedly be the fastest-selling smartphone of all-time. Vodafone Germany is the latest to receive stock of the handset’s new nano-SIM, and they’re ready to be shipped out to the iPhone 5’s early adopters.

iPhone 5’s New Nano-SIM Tray Gets Pictured

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This is the nano-SIM tray your iPhone 5 will carry.
This is the nano-SIM tray your iPhone 5 will carry.

After getting its nano-SIM (4FF) proposal approved by the ETSI earlier this year, Apple’s new technology was always going to make its debut in the sixth-generation iPhone. And in case you needed proof of that, here are several pictures of the new iPhone’s nano-SIM tray up against the iPhone 4S’s micro-SIM tray. As you can see, it’s significantly smaller this time around, measuring less than a centimeter wide.

Battle Of The Back Panels: “iPhone 5” Versus iPhone 4S [Video]

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Is this your new iPhone's back panel?
Is this your new iPhone's back panel?

We’ve seen a good number of images claiming to be the sixth-generation iPhone’s rear panel in recent weeks, all of which feature identical designs. But what isn’t entirely clear from these images is just how different these leaked panels are when compared to those that feature on our iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S.

However, thanks to this video from parts supplier ETrade Supply, it’s easy to see the changes Apple has made to its next iPhone (assuming this is indeed a genuine part, of course). And there are a lot of them.

ETSI Approves Apple’s Controversial New Nano-SIM Format

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This is the nano-SIM card that will be in your future iPhones.
This is the nano-SIM card that will be in your future iPhones.

Despite disapproval from its rivals, Apple’s new 4FF nano-SIM format has been approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) this morning, edging out other proposals from the likes of Motorola, Nokia, and Research in Motion. The new card is said to be 40% smaller than existing micro-SIM cards, but it offers all of the same functionality. 

Apple’s Next iPhone Won’t Look Anything Like The iPhone 4S According To This Component

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iphone_5_headphone_jack_earpiece_cable
This component looks nothing like anything we've ever seen in a previous iPhone.

An “iPhone 5” SIM tray that was leaked by one parts supplier earlier this month suggested Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone may not get that long-awaited redesign after all, launching instead with a look that resembles its last two predecessors, the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S.

However, a new headphone jack & earpiece component that has been leaked by the same supplier contradicts that belief, and indicates that the new iPhone will indeed sport a whole new look.

ETSI Set To Decide On Apple’s Controversial Nano-SIM Standard This Month

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This is the nano-SIM card that will be in your future iPhones.
This is the nano-SIM card that will be in your future iPhones.

Apple’s effort to make the future iPhone smaller and thinner has caused it to focus once again on making SIM cards even smaller. The Cupertino company has designed a new “nano-SIM” that is even smaller than the micro-SIM that was introduced with the iPhone 4 back in 2010.

However, rival smartphone vendors like Nokia have publicly voiced their concerns over the new standard, calling it an attempt to devalue its rivals’ intellectual property. Apple has now amended its design slightly to quash some of those concerns, and ETSI is set to case its vote on the design this month.

Purported iPhone 5 SIM Tray Crushes Our Dreams Of A Liquidmetal iPhone

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Is this really an iPhone 5 SIM tray, or did someone hit the wrong key?
Is this really an iPhone 5 SIM tray, or did someone hit the wrong key?

Many of us are dreaming of a liquidmetal casing for the next iPhone which will sport a tapered, teardrop design that will help make the sixth-generation device thinner than its predecessor. However, a SIM tray that is believed to be destined for the new device suggests it could feature a box-like design similar to the iPhone 4S.

Forget Flimsy Glass, The iPhone 5 Will Be Built From Liquidmetal [Rumor]

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liquidmetal
Liquid metal could make your next iPhone silky smooth and incredibly strong.

While it may look pretty, Apple’s decision to build the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S almost entirely out of glass means that the handset isn’t really cut out for the dings and drops that our smartphones often have to endure. But the new iPhone could be a whole lot different. Built from liquidmetal, it could be one of the strongest smartphones money can buy.

AT&T Will Unlock iPhones For Deployed Military Personnel Who Are Still In Contract

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AT&T will unlock in-contract iPhones for deployed service men so that the handset can be used with other carriers abroad.
AT&T will unlock in-contract iPhones for deployed service men so that the handset can be used with other carriers abroad.

AT&T finally began unlocking iPhones for customers whose contracts had now expired over the weekend, allowing the device to be used with other SIM-cards from GSM carriers. But for deployed military personnel, the carrier will unlock iPhones still tied to a contract so that they can be used with others carriers abroad.

RIM Sides With Nokia Over Nano-SIM, Accuses Apple Of Vote Rigging

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RIM thinks Apple employees are pretending to be from other companies to rig votes for the nano-SIM.
RIM thinks Apple employees are pretending to be from other companies to rig votes for the nano-SIM.

Research in Motion may be watching its mobile business crumble away at its feet, but that’s not the Canadian company’s only concern. It has sided with Nokia and spoken out against Apple’s nano-SIM proposal, accusing its employees of vote rigging by registering themselves under a different affiliation.