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Apple's iPhone 7 might include dual SIMs, keep standard audio jack

A dual SIM can hold two numbers and profiles at once, a first for Apple. Retaining the standard 3.5mm audio jack would mean you could still use your existing headsets with the new iPhone.

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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.
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Will the successor to the iPhone 6 come with a dual-SIM tray?

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Apple's next iPhone reportedly could accommodate two phone numbers, according to news over the weekend.

The next iPhone will sport a dual-SIM setup, according to photos leaked by Chinese smartphone repair site Rock Fix.

The owner of the company confirmed on Monday that he had posted photos, which were reported earlier by Engadget, but didn't reveal where or how he got them.

A dual-SIM allows a phone to handle two different numbers and profiles, useful functionality if you need to travel in different countries or want a single phone that operates separately for work and for personal.

Apple has never made a phone with a dual SIM.

Apple, which is expected to launch the next iPhone in September, said iPhone sales posted their first decline last quarter. They're expected to drop again this quarter. So Apple needs to outfit the new iPhone with enough innovative features to entice customers to upgrade.

The next iPhone has already been the subject of reports, including a rumor that it may jettison the 3.5 mm audio jack in favor of piping audio through the Lightning port. The photos leaked by Rock Fix put the kibosh on that notion.

Killing the audio jack would be a controversial move as iPhone 7 buyers would need to buy adapters or new headphones and earbuds to work with the Lightning port.

Another feature shown in Rock Fix's photos is a dual-camera setup, another rumor that's made the rounds. Also, the photos show SanDisk memory chips sporting 256-gigabyte capacity. That could mean Apple is planning to offer an iPhone with 256GB of internal storage for the first time.

Apple declined CNET's request for comment.

Keep in mind that this latest scuttlebutt is coming from a repair vendor. It's wise to take the information with a grain of salt.

And don't forget: the rumor wheel is likely to keep spinning around and around as we get closer to the anticipated September release of the new iPhones.

(Via Engadget)