Nearly 40 percent of the smartphones delivered in Europe have space for two SIM cards, analysts firm Canalys has calculated. The majority of smartphones supplied have space for only one SIM card.
The number of smartphones with dual SIM capability grew by 8 percent within a year, Canalys said. The share of dual SIM phones now stands at around 39 percent, compared to 55 percent of single SIM phones. It is unknown what the third category is. Presumably these are devices with a mobile internet connection but without a SIM card.
The arrival of dualsim has taken longer than elsewhere in the world by providers, says a Canalys analyst. “Providers are paranoid about including dual-sim phones in their lineup, as it gives competitors the opportunity to sell services within their customer base. The growth of dual-sim in sales channels, through brands such as Huawei and Wiko, is causing providers to rethink their portfolio and consider dualsim.”
Canalys also points out that more manufacturers are releasing dual-sim models in Europe. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S9 is standard available in a dual SIM version, the first Galaxy S phone where that is the case.
Canalys further notes that smartphone shipments in Western Europe are declining rapidly, at about 13 percent from a year ago. In France and the United Kingdom, even a quarter fewer smartphones are sold than at the beginning of 2017. Samsung has the largest market share, followed by Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi and Nokia licensee HMD Global.