iPhone 12 Models in Dual SIM Mode May Not Run at 5G Speeds, At Least Initially [Update: Confirmed]

Using an iPhone 12 in Dual SIM mode throttles the cellular data speed to 4G LTE, according to an Apple Sales FAQ shared with retailers and carriers.

All 5G iPhone 12 models support Dual SIM mode, which refers to the ability to switch between a SIM card and an eSIM operating on independent numbers and/or carriers. However, an image of a training document from Apple's Sales Web resources called "What you need to know about 5G on iPhone" and posted to Reddit suggests the ‌iPhone 12‌ will not support 5G on either line when Dual SIM mode is active. The FAQ reads:

"Does 5G work with Dual SIM?"
When using two lines in Dual SIM mode, 5G data isn't supported on either line and will fall back to 4G LTE. If customers are using eSIM only and are on a 5G-supported carrier and service plan, they'll have 5G access.

The document suggests that only by disabling one SIM or the other will 5G speeds be available – a limitation that, if confirmed, will come as a blow to ‌iPhone 12‌ customers who intended to use separate work and personal lines, for example.

On the bright side, this incompatibility could be a software issue, and therefore something Apple could resolve down the line. Indeed, the Reddit user who posted the above image claims that an update coming later in 2020 will enable 5G when using a Dual SIM mode.

This information is allegedly revealed in Apple's internal training documents, but 5G is not anywhere mentioned in Apple's Dual SIM support page, which was last updated on September 26. We've reached out to Apple to clarify the matter and will update this article if we get a response.

(Thanks, De Paul Sunny!)

Update: MacRumors has received independent confirmation that the documentation is genuine.