Samsung has introduced the "first true dual-sim smartphone" in the Middle East.
The addition to its top-end Galaxy S5 comes as Apple prepares to unveil its iPhone 6 and popularity grows for cheaper devices from smaller vendors.
Smartphone-makers are increasingly turning to dual-sim devices at the upper end of the market, said Annette Zimmermann, the research director at Gartner, who used the HTC One M8 as an example.
“Some consumers own up to three or four sim cards – not because they want to divide their work and leisure time, but because they seek the best possible contract rates,” she said.
In the UAE and Saudi Arabia demand for second smartphones has increased as consumers snap up low-end devices to use when travelling.
Although Samsung's second-quarter sales fell, the company remains the market leader with 25.2 per cent of the smartphone market globally, according to data from International Data Corporation.
But it is set to face strong competition in the second half of the year, with Apple reported to have the iPhone 6 lined up for a possible September release.
“Samsung has all of the mobile phone segments covered, but their second-quarter results show that they have huge competition in the mid-to-low segment as this is being penetrated by the Chinese vendors,” said Ms Zimmermann. “They are at a turning point where the S5 is selling well, but in the future they need to think about how they will integrate new technologies.”
The latest version of the Galaxy S5, dubbed the Duos LTE is priced at Dh2,599 in the UAE and allows users to switch between two mobile phone plans and numbers on the same device – an option that was previously available only on its mid-range phones, and yet to be utilised by Apple.
“Dual-SIM is a great option for people who want balance in their work and social lives, but it has never been available on a true smartphone,” said Hayssam Yassine, Samsung’s regional head of telecommunications.
Lenovo, whose global sales have increased 39 per cent in the past year, yesterday announced the UAE launch of its new flagship phone, the Vibe Z2 Pro.
Available to buy in the third week of September, the device features a 6-inch screen and 16-megapixel rear camera, which Lenovo says “captures widescreen photos at full resolution”.
The market for such phone-tablet hybrids is still “very niche except in South East Asia”, according to Ms Zimmermann.
The Vibe Z2 is a “very good device and has everything you could wish for but is just too large for some”, she said. “It’s not the kind of size the average person in the Middle East and Europe wants to carry around.”
ioxborrow@thenational.ae
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