how many sims can I put in an iPhone 13 pro

Your answer may not be correct. Look at the tech specs for the iPhone 13 - it says:

• "Dual SIM (nano‑SIM and eSIM)
• Dual eSIM support"

Which you can read three ways: it has just dual (two) SIMs, (one physical and one eSIM) or just two eSIMs. That I can understand, but as it says, you can put in two eSIMs, and as it also has a physical SIM slot, it could also mean that you can

put in a physical SIM. Which would result in three SIMs in total.

eSIMs are nothing other than software captures, so there being a physical SIM slot wouldn't lead to much of a technical solution to accommodate its use; it's purely a software fix. The dual eSIM engineering has already been done.

Other smart phones have had more than two physical SIMs for a while, and, depending how you read Apple's specs, it could also mean that we could put three SIMs in the iPhone 13.

Trouble was, which lead to my question, this is unclear.

I agree that what it says in the tech spec is clear, that you can have dual SIM, but it then it muddies the waters by saying nano-SIM and eSIM - the next line is the one that makes me think you can put in two eSIM (with the words Dual eSIM support), but that says nothing about a physical SIM - or whether the physical SIM slot then has a purpose. I doubt very much that Apple would provide a SIM slot and just leave it empty. Somebody somewhere will try to put in a SIM after they've put in two eSIMs - it's human nature to try something like that.

Providers like EE, O2, Orange, etc, might not be up to speed on how to insert two eSIMs, or it may be very simple. I have seen nothing to say they've addressed this issue (yet), but they will need to, because people will be calling on them to provide two eSIM solutions.

I happen to like eSIMs because they are more secure than a physical SIM, a thief can't do anything with an eSIM whereas they can and do fiddle with physical SIMs, if it's only to throw them away.

This won't be of any interest for those with only one SIM (of any type), but for those with a raft of telephones and numbers and cards, having three numbers/SIMs in one device reduces desk clutter.

I just happen to have five mobile numbers, which currently means I have three iPhones. If this was a triple SIM solution, I could dump one iPhone.

Once the iPhone 13 is available to buy, I plan to ask Apple, before I rush out and buy something that may prove to be a lemon (well, the iPhone 13 is attractive enough in other ways, but that's another story).

jefflin555,

Many thanks - reading the blurb on Apple's technical specs for all the iPhone 13s seemed to say this, but everyone else says it's impossible: I've had a bucket of replies telling me otherwise!!!!

Your answer was just what I wanted to hear. It would be a real help if Apple made this clear, (I mean, it's not a secret, I'd guess) because, as you say particularly when travelling, being able to change SIMs on the go as you move about is a real bonus.

Wait now for Apple to do a big sell on this "hidden" gem. Maybe an early Christmas present.

Thanks again.