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Dual-SIM phones have always been exceptionally popular in Asia, but they haven’t had the same kind of demand in Australia.
Part of that is down to the Australian carriers not wanting you to use a rival network. But other factors like cost and availability definitely play a part
That said, there’s a lot of appeal in having a single smart device that can be used as both your work phone and your personal device, without the need to carry around two separate phones.
Additionally, being able to connect to an International SIM card while travelling makes it easier to avoid excessive global roaming fees, while still keeping your phone and account active.
And with the rise of eSIM, or Embedded SIM, being able to operate your phone as a Dual-SIM device is much easier and common.
It can still be a challenge to identify the best dual-SIM phone for your needs, though.
We’re here to help
So to help, we’ve pulled together this guide of the best Dual-SIM phone models in Australia.
We did extensive research to find the Dual-SIM smartphones most recommended by expert review sites.
Of course, your needs may vary. You may also be interested in our recommendations for the best phones in Australia, the best Android phones, and the best camera phones.
We’ve also rounded up the best brand phones as well:
If you’re on a budget, we also have a roundup of the best cheap phones in Australia.
These are the best Dual-SIM phone models in Australia right now:
OnePlus 11
Recommended by 5/6 review sites
Like the Samsung Galaxy S23 family of phones, the OnePlus 11 features two dedicated physical SIM card slots, as well as eSIM compatibility.
You can’t have more than two numbers attached to the phone though, so you’ll have to decide between two physical SIMs or one SIM and one eSIM.
In addition to its dual-SIM capabilities, the OnePlus 11 is a robust Android handset, offering an impressive camera designed in conjunction with Hasselblad, plus a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus
Recommended by 3/6 review sites
It makes buying a dual-SIM device easy when one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world includes it in their flagship phone family.
The Galaxy S23 Plus is the larger version of the standard S23. Its larger screen and battery size make it an ideal partner for watching videos on your commute, as much as editing spreadsheets in the office.
Once both SIMs are installed, you can control the situations when you will use each SIM card. For example, you may only want to use data from your personal SIM card, but make calls from your work SIM.
Samsung Galaxy S23
Recommended by 3/6 review sites
The smaller of the core S23 models also boasts dual-SIM card slots, allowing you to include two different SIMs for home and travel.
Just like the S23 Plus, you can dictate the roles each SIM card has, including which makes calls, and which is used for data.
You also get a powerful smartphone with a great camera, making it perfect for travelling the world and capturing every moment.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Refurbished Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Hall of Fame
Recommended by 3/6 review sites
One of the best phones released in 2023, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was the first product to be inducted into the BTTR Hall of Fame.
The S23 Ultra is a powerhouse of a smartphone, with a processor that can tackle pretty much everything, a huge battery and one of the best cameras on a smartphone on the market today.
It also offers dual-SIM compatibility, so you can have a number for a work phone and your personal phone in the same device.
Asus Zenfone 10
Recommended by 3/6 review sites
In a world where smartphone manufacturers like to make things bigger, the ASUS Zenfone 10 is refreshingly compact.
It offers dual physical SIM card slots, so you’ll need to pick up that second SIM card slot physically.
You’ll get more than a full day of battery life, an IP68 rating and a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack, plus a large 4,300 mAh battery.
The cameras can’t compete with the best phones on the market though.
How we chose the best Dual-SIM phone in Australia
Review sites – including this one – are subjective by nature. Everybody has a different opinion of what is best.
So to try and counter the fact that every best guide on the internet has a different opinion of what is best, we approached our list by combining the results of some of the top sites recommending Dual-SIM phones on the market today.
To determine this list, we followed the same journey most consumers would follow: we went to Google.
We searched for “Best dual-sim phone” and identified 6 of the top results. It’s important to note that Google results can change often. The full list of sites we referenced is outlined below:
We listed out all of the dual-SIM phones listed on each site, tidying up any slight differences in spelling for consistency.
We calculated how often each product was mentioned across those six guides. The more frequently a product is mentioned, the more agreement there is between experts reviewing these products.
We set a minimum of three mentions across all six guides to be eligible for inclusion here.
Before we created this page we took some time to remove products that are either unavailable, or difficult to find in Australia.
We also leveraged our own experience with products to ensure that we wouldn’t be recommending any product that doesn’t deliver.
Full list of products considered for this guide
| OnePlus 11 |
| Xiaomi 13 Pro |
| Samsung Galaxy S23+ |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Samsung Galaxy S23 |
| Asus Zenfone 10 |
| Sony Xperia 1 V |
| Samsung Galaxy A54 5G |
| Google Pixel 7a |
| Google Pixel 7 Pro |
| Google Pixel 7 |
| Google Pixel 6a |
| Apple iPhone 14 Pro |
| Xiaomi 13T Pro |
| Samsung z Fold4 |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 |
| Samsung Galaxy A34 |
| Samsung Galaxy A14 |
| RedMagic 8 Pro |
| POCO X5 Pro 5G |
| Oppo Find N2 Flip |
| OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G |
| OnePlus Nord 3 |
| Nothing Phone (2) |
| Motorola Razr Plus |
| Google Pixel Pro |
| Google Pixel Fold |
| Google Pixel 8 |
| ASUS Zenfone 9 |
| ASUS ROG Phone 7 Pro |
| ASUS ROG Phone 7 |
| Apple iPhone SE (3rd gen) 2022 |
| Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max |
| Apple iPhone 14 Plus |
| Apple iPhone 14 |
| Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max |
What to look for when choosing the best Dual-SIM phone in Australia
Whether you’re after one of the models listed above or something completely different, the decision factors you need to consider when buying a new dual-SIM phone is the same.
Network compatibility
The days where certain phones would only work on certain mobile networks are mostly behind us, but it always pays to check.
More specifically, it’s worth checking that the phone you buy, particularly when you buy online, will support the frequency bands used by the Australian operators.
If you’re buying a phone from a big brand like Apple or Samsung, you’re probably going to be okay. But smaller brands or international phones may not support the right bands, so it pays to check.
SIM card
It’s extremely unlikely that any new dual-SIM phone would feature anything other than a nano-SIM card in 2023.
What’s more important to check is that both SIM card slots support 4G and 5G networks. You may find some 5G phone models offer 5G connectivity for the primary SIM, but the secondary SIM only supports 4G.
Battery life
Dual-SIM phones are going to use up more battery power than single-SIM models (or dual-SIM phones only operating a single SIM).
This makes sense – the phone will be powering the phone to be constantly connected to two different networks all the time, which puts additional load on the battery.
WIth this in mind, look for a model with a big battery so you can get through the day. Something with at least 3,500mAh should be worthwhile.
User interface
It’s a challenge to check this before you buy a phone, but it’s important for dual-SIM phones that it is easy to control the two SIMs.
The last thing you want is to end up making personal calls on your work phone then having to answer questions from your boss.
Also look for the ability to set default SIMs for calls, messaging and data.
Storage
Be mindful that some dual-SIM models offer a hybrid SIM slot for the second SIM. This is a slot that can be used either as a SIM slot, or as a MicroSD card slot for extra storage – but not both.
If you are banking on using MicroSD for extra storage and need dual SIMs, these devices aren’t going to meet your needs.
Price
As with any decision, make sure you consider the price of the device. Dual-SIM devices aren’t necessarily more expensive than single-SIM models, but the best dual-SIM phones are still pricey investments.
Update history
- 4 May 2023 – First Published
- 5 November 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for products. Removed Google Pixel 6a and Asus Zenfone 9. Added the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Asus Zenfone 10.
