Are the new Galaxy A series being downgraded regarding number of SIM/microSD slots?

[WobSleptHere]

I while ago I purchased a new A51 dual SIM phone. It has 3 slots for inserting cards: viz 2 SIM slots and 1 micoSD slot. I am very happy as this enables me to have all 3 cards in use  simultaneously.

I am thinking about upgrading to a 5G phone and have considered the A52 (eg https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08TCGSCQ9/). At first sight it seems similar to my A51 but offering 5G. However, when I look at the questions & answers section I am perturbed it being suggested that the Samsung phone does not have the necessary 3 card slots that I need. I have found a similar situation with other phone manufacturers (eg Motorola) whose dual SIM phones used to have 3 card slots but are being reduced to 2 card slots on their newer dual SIM phones.

Could someone please clarify the situation in relation to newer Samsung Galaxy A dual SIM phones. Have they similarly been downgraded to only having 2 card slots and thereby making them useless to me as I need ability to fit all 3 cards (2 SIM + 1 microSD) and use them simultaneously?

Does Samsung still offer any new dual SIM phones that can take all 3 cards together?

[Pugs1957]

I think esims render the need for 2 Samsung and SD card slots obsolete. The S series don't have SD card slots so looks like Samsung are phasing out support for these.

[WobSleptHere]

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@Pugs1957 wrote:
I think esims render the need for 2 Samsung and SD card slots obsolete. The S series don't have SD card slots so looks like Samsung are phasing out support for these.

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You mention esims which I haven't used before. Do the Galaxy A series (and in particular the A52 I mentioned in my OP) support esims in which case I'll investigate? Elsewhere I found a Samsung agent refer to the A52 as a Hybrid-SIM and therefore not a normal dual SIM. If so the A52 would be useless to me.

Can you explain your suggestion that the S series doesn't support an SD card? To me add-on storage via an SD card is an essential facility I need on a mobile phone: do Samsung offer an alternative add on storage facility if SD card is not an option? Otherwise any Samsung phones without such a storage add-on would also be useless to me.

As asked in my OP:
Does Samsung still offer any new dual SIM phones that can take all 3 cards (2x SIM + 1 SD) together?

[Pugs1957]

Seems like only th S series have esims. It was never adopted by US carriers so may be the reason other models don't have it, although UK carriers do offer them. A hybrid sim means you can use 2 sims or 1 sim and an SD card. So, in a nutshell there's no Samsung device that satisfies your requirements unless you are happy using a USB stick for expandable memory.

[WobSleptHere]

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@Pugs1957 wrote:
A hybrid sim means you can use 2 sims or 1 sim and an SD card. So, in a nutshell there's no Samsung device that satisfies your requirements unless you are happy using a USB stick for expandable memory.

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So Samsung should stop misleading customers when they refer to their products as being dual SIM when actually they are really only Hybrid-SIM.

I expect to be able to use a microSD card for expandable memory. So if your last sentence is correct, I'll never bother buying another Samsung mobile phone. They should stop pretending they offer full dual SIM when they now only supply Hybrid-SIM models which are of no use to me.

[WobSleptHere]

Unfortunately I still haven't had a complete and straight answer to my query about how many card slots new Samsung phones have. I contacted support@samsunguk.zendesk.com and they contradicted answers given here and elsewhere. They stated that the Hybrid-SIM SIM enables you to use 2 SIMs and 1 SD card at the same time.
I pointed out to them that this contradicts what others have said. I have now been told to contact yet another department (uk.technical@samsung.com).

T am now waiting to hear from them. Why are Samsung making it so difficult to get a straight answer to my question about the number of card slots in their dual SIM phones?

[Members_gD7Aui4]

Agree and just because of this stupidity I landed up buying A52s and later gifting it to my younger brother because it did not support the Sim1 + Sim2 + MicroSD Card. Now, I am waiting just for the right mobile to be launched that could suit my these physical requirements apart from the technological upgrades. But Samsung should seriously think of including 3 slots instead in the the upcoming models.

[WobSleptHere]

The prices Samsung charges for mobile devices are very high compared with much of the competition. OK they are of reasonable quality but I don't think it's acceptable for them to mislead customers about their failure to continue to offer Sim1 + Sim2 + MicroSD Card. I regret I am now reluctant to purchase more of their products and have started to buy cheaper alternatives offered by competitors.