Dual-SIM smartphone to grow 19% to 514 mn in 2016

Sales of dual-SIM smartphone will grow 19 percent to 514 million units in 2016 from 431 million units in 2015 – driven by China and India, said Strategy Analytics.

Apple iPhone does not have any dual-SIM smartphone. Earlier, Nokia did not have dual SIM phones. This has impacted its sales in India. By not offering a dual-SIM iPhone, Apple is missing out on a huge half-billion-unit global market, said Strategy Analytics.

The main beneficiaries of Apple’s absence are Samsung, Lenovo and Micromax which are focusing their dual-SIM Android models on China and India. Dual-SIM smartphones with two or more SIM card slots, such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 Duos, are popular in cost-conscious markets like India and China.
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“Dual-SIM smartphone sales will top the half-billion mark for the first time ever next year. Almost 1 in 3 of all 1.6 billion smartphones sold globally will be dual-SIM models in 2016. Dual-SIM is a killer feature for smartphones,” said Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics.

Dual-SIM smartphones are popular in China and India because they allow consumers to select the cheapest tariff rates for voice or data plans, as well as access better cellular coverage without roaming charges, while removing the extra cost of owning multiple handsets for personal or business communications.

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