According to a recent change in Android’s source code, this year’s Pixel 4 from Google could come with dual-SIM functionality enabled.
This is news and it’s not; the Pixel 3 line is technically dual-SIM, but the functionality is disabled in most markets. You see, the Pixel 3 contains an eSIM as well as its hardware nanoSIM slot. This eSIM isn’t widely used, though; Sprint in the US uses it, but few other carriers do. When used alongside a hardware SIM, the Pixel 3 will work in dual-SIM mode, but not well.
A recent change in the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) Gerrit system indicates that this will be fixed in the Pixel 4, with proper dual-SIM functionality to be included:
Whether this means the Pixel 4 will support two hardware SIMs (as most users would understand dual SIM to mean) remains to be seen, but it appears if it does, the software will be ready for it.
Android Police first broke the story this morning, and their Richard Gao gave a great explanation of the different kinds of dual SIM available. The most common is Dual SIM Dual Standby, wherein both SIMs are registered on the network at once, and both can receive calls / SMS, but generally only if the other SIM isn’t already being used for that purpose. In other words, you can’t have simultaneous calls on both SIMs (though why you’d want this I dunno).
As a daily user of a Dual SIM phone, I know that going forward I would struggle without the functionality. It’s great to see that Android is making steps in the right direction here.
