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Samsung Galaxy S6 dual-SIM phone pops up in online photos

Allegedly dubbed the S6 Duo, this additional variant of Samsung's upcoming flagship phone supposedly comes packed with two SIM card slots, allowing the owner to use two phone numbers.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
Lance Whitney
2 min read

Will the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge be joined by a third variant? Josh Miller/CNET

Samsung will offer yet another version of its Galaxy S6 smartphone, this one dual-SIM cards, according to photos allegedly leaked online.

Pictures of the purported phone snagged by blog site Phone Arena show a device with two SIM card trays. The device itself is a prototype model, says Phone Arena, so the external shell is just a disguise. But the internal components are reportedly the same as those found on the regular Galaxy S6. The model number seen on the screen is SM-G920, the same number assigned to the S6.

Why offer a dual-SIM phone? Such phones are designed to hold two different phone numbers and therefore two different identities as the same time. So you can make and receive phone calls and texts using either number. Further, a dual-SIM phone makes it easier for you to jump from one carrier to another, especially handy if you constantly travel from one country to another and need to switch between carriers.

In late March, the Galaxy S6 Duo appeared on a Russian retail website, popping up alongside the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge phones. An alleged photo of the S6 Duo also was leaked online by an Italian journalist revealing the dual-SIM trays, as spotted by Forbes.

Beyond the dual-SIM functionality, the core specs for the purported Galaxy S6 Duo would likely be the same as those for the S6 and S6 Edge . The new S6 models come with a 5.1-inch quad HD display, an octa-core Exynos 7420 processor and a 16-megapixel rear camera. For internal storage, you can opt for 32GB, 64GB or 128GB.

Assuming the Duo is or becomes a reality, no reports have suggested when or where it might be available.

The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are both available now for preorder. Consumers in the US can preorder the phones from any of the four major carriers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint. The phones will officially hit retail and online markets this Friday.

A spokeswoman for Samsung declined CNET's request for comment.