What is Hybrid Dual-SIM slot in smartphones

Going by the specs sheet of a smartphone, you find dual hybrid SIM compatibility feature – then the first questions arises in your mind is – What is Hybrid SIM slot and how it works? Hybrid sim slots are becoming a trend in some of the popular smartphones these days. In this we are going to explain everything about the dual Hybrid SIM functionality and advantages and disadvantages of this technology, starting with:

What is Hybrid SIM slot?

Hybrid SIM slot in a smartphone can function either as a dual-SIM card slot or as a SIM card slot + microSD card slot. Using this feature mobile companies are avoiding the third and separate slot for the microSD card and coupling it with the SIM slots for more productive option. Smartphones with Hybrid SIM compatibility don’t provide you 3 separate slots (2 for SIM’s and 1 for Memory Card). You will find only two slots, one slot is used for SIM while the second slot can be used as either SIM slot or SD Card slot.

This feature allows you to use your phone as a dual-SIM phone or as a single-SIM phone and put a microSD card in the second slot for expanding the memory of your phone. Check out the image below for the more clear view about the Hybrid dual-SIM card functionality:

hybrid-dual-sim1

The image clearly explains that the SIM tray allows two SIM cards or one SIM card and one micro-SD memory card. You have the options to use Hybrid dual-SIM slot as below:

Nano SIM + Nano SIM/Micro SIM (when you want to use your phone as dual-SIM phone)

Nano SIM + microSD card ( single SIM phone with microSD card for expandable memory)

Here is another image showing how Samsung use Hybrid SIM slots in some of it’s smartphones. The image is for the Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone which supports Hybrid SIM functionality:

galaxy-s7-hybrid-sim-slot

Why is the Hybrid SIM functionality needed?

Manufactures wants to make devices more slimmer with powerful specs inside. That’s only possible by making more spaces for more number of cores in CPU, or the additional RAM capacity or a bigger battery or a powerful camera module. For a smooth functionality of the smartphone you can’t give any one of them, even the idea of giving up bluetooth, Wifi or 3.5 mm jack is out of the question. So the manufactures have the option to give the extra separate slot for the micorSD card and coupled it with dual-SIM tray. By doing this, companies offer both the dual-SIM functionality and the option for extra storage (but you can’t use them all together). They are passing on that choice to user, either to use their phone as a dual-SIM phone or as a single SIM option with extra storage using microSD cards.

Advantage of Hybrid Dual-SIM functionality

The main advantage is for manufacturers, by implementing Hybrid SIM slots they are saving some space to make the phone much slimmer. By giving some space, manufactures can utilize it for increasing the number of cores in CPU, or the RAM capacity or a better camera module. As the user point of view, there is not much advantage of this instead you are a single SIM user for all of your work but need the dual-SIM option for few days when you are out of your home station. As the expandable memory storage is the much needed feature these days so you don’t want to give up that for all the time to use another SIM.

Disadvantage of Hybrid Dual-SIM functionality

With the Hybrid SIM slot in your smartphone, you have to choose whether you want your device to be a dual SIM device or you want more storage option for your documents, photographs and other stuffs. The hybrid SIM slot limits the user’s phone functionality in a way that shouldn’t be. The major drawback of hybrid SIM slot is that you can’t use both dual SIM functionality and expandable storage simultaneously and you have to give up one of them. So if use dual SIMs, one for your voice and calling feature and the other for the data usage, also use a microSD card for expanding you Phone storage – the smartphones with Hybrid SIM functionality is not for you.

Some of the popular smartphone models with hybrid dual sim technology are Samsung Galaxy A5, Galaxy S7/S7Edge, BlackBerry DTEK50, Huawei P8, Meizu m3 note, Xolo Black and Oppo F1 Plus. There are many other options in the market to choose from.

Hope we have answered all of your questions regarding Hybrid dual-SIM slots in some of the smartphones these days. What’s your opinion on Hybrid SIM slots? Is it a useful functionality to opt for or not? Share your views with us via comment section.

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