Dual-SIM smartphones estimated to make up a third of global smartphone sales in 2016

Although in some countries, such as the US, dual-SIM smartphones have yet to take off, it looks like this type of handsets is gaining more and more importance internationally. According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, about one in three smartphones sold at the global level in 2016 will be a dual-SIM smartphone.

Strategy Analytics estimates that global dual-SIM smartphone sales will reach 431 million units in 2015, and that this number will grow 19% to 514 million units in 2016. If the company's estimates turn out to be accurate, then about a third of all smartphones sold globally in 2016 will be able to rock two SIM cards.

Apparently, the rise of the dual-SIM smartphone is fueled by a rising trend in China and India, two of the largest smartphone markets on the globe. According to Linda Sui, director at Strategy Analytics, customers in these two markets are adopting dual-SIM smartphones in order to maneuver their way towards the cheapest possible rates for voice and data. Furthermore, dual-SIM smartphone owners are also able to tap into a better cellular coverage, since they can combine the coverage of two distinct carriers.

Among the largest smartphone makers on the globe, Samsung, Lenovo, and Micromax are said to be now focusing on marketing dual-SIM Android phones in both China and India. Apple makes a notable distinction from this trend, as the iPhone maker has yet to launch a dual-SIM smartphone.

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